


Colors

by Travis_Crux



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Abuse, Alpha Harry, Alpha Liam Payne, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Historical, Assassin Louis Tomlinson, BAMF Louis Tomlinson, Beta Louis Tomlinson, Dom Harry, Drama, Friendship, Jealousy, King Harry, Kings & Queens, Love, M/M, Omega Louis, Omega Niall, Omega Verse, Omega Zayn Malik, Possessive Harry Styles, Sub Louis, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-05
Updated: 2020-02-22
Packaged: 2020-02-26 12:22:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 38,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18716998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Travis_Crux/pseuds/Travis_Crux
Summary: "I don't mean offence, Your Highness," Louis called out, as he noticed the Alpha turn around, "I'm not a whore for your personal needs. If you do need one, I'm sure there are more suitable candidates."Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to Louis, taking his chin between his index finger and thumb. "Everybody is a whore, Louis.""We sell different parts of us to different people." He told him with his thumb rubbing against his lips."Luckily, I'm not a businessman," Louis responded, curtly and pushed his hand away from his fingers.Harry's eyes sparkled at the retaliation and a smirk descended upon his lips, "Lunch.""I won't try anything funny." He added onto give his reassurance.Louis didn't seem convinced.Alpha Emperor Harry Styles had murdered the entirety of the Royal family to ensure his rule over the throne of Verloren but then his eyes struck against a Beta who had the courage of steel.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, I'm back in my lane. Turns out I love the plot device I created in Heaven where Louis pretends to be a Beta when in actuality, he is an Omega. So I decided to give this another shot and see how this story would turn out. It's still on-going and I'm still writing it and since it isn't complete no fixed update schedule. But on a rough sketch I can give you guys one chapter every two weeks. Thank you for your patience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Summary thoroughly inspired from Peaky Blinders.   
> P.S: I don't own the embodiment of perfection which is Peaky Blinders.

The courtroom was the vision of an artist in actuality. With red sandstone paved on the floor, the centre of the room stretched an elaborate indentation. That specific indentation was filled with water and lotus flowers on a regular day but on that day the stretch had blood infused with water. 

That very morning, Alpha Harry Edward Styles had poisoned the entirety of his uncle's family and killed the remnant heirs who escaped the predicament at breakfast. And the colour of their blood had been lavishly splashed into the pool. 

On the announcement of what had occurred the halls had grown from lively enthusiasm to a funeral of the dead. All the royal ministers and other officials were called for the coronation of their new King. 

Although people were filling inside in consistence, the silence of the place wasn't a tie which was broken. The silence was neither grim nor threatening, it was deadly. It was the calm before the storm and serenity before mayhem. And everyone who filed into the halls acknowledged that wholly. 

The silence grew into looks of intrigue when a man with billowing dark robes entered the chambers. Clad in pure emerald velvet, he wore his clothes, the way he wore his Alpha authority, effortlessly. To add upon all of that was the single braid his usually unruly hair had been tied into. 

Sauntering through the halls, he didn't pause his footsteps until he reached the throne. As soon as he reached it, he looked out for the others who quietly followed behind him. 

Entering the court halls in succession were the three men who remained beside the lunatic of an Alpha regardless of the situation. Two Omegas and one Alpha. The two of them usually made their opponents mind bleed whereas the other Alpha made his body bleed. The long withstanding friendship the four of them sported was no surprise to anybody due to the ruthlessness all of them carried in their blood. Moving in the same fashion the dark haired Omega quietly took a place near the throne holding up the tray which held the headpiece. Whorls of silver within which laid blazing green emeralds. Lining beside the Omega, the brunet Alpha gave way for the blonde Omega.

Meandering towards the Alpha, the Omega took the crown and placed it firmly on his head and whispered. "On the seat of power never shall you weep, let fate bestow prosperity to reap. May success never forget your way, through the night through the day."

Locking his emerald eyes with the Omega who said those words, he gave him a reserved smile which the blonde enthusiastically returned before turning his face into a pool of indifference again.

Stepping away from the King, all what was heard through the halls in the following few minutes was 'Long Live Emperor Harry Styles'.


	2. Symphony

Harry was seated in the throne room with loneliness as the only thing which accompanied him. The court session had been suspended for the lunch hour and all Harry wanted to do was lean back on the cushions and kill everyone who dared step inside. 

At times he genuinely thought whether the throne was worth so much of adversity. It wasn't the question of self doubt because the Alpha bore none of it in respect to his character or judgement. The thought which did make him consider giving up the throne was that the people in the courtroom in his most humble opinion weren't worth ruling over for the grain of intelligence they possessed. They'd rather be nailed to the walls, at least the wall would be decorated appropriately.

It had been a month since he had been crowned King. King of the one place he knew he was born to rule regardless of his lineage. Symphony. The Alpha hadn't undergone so much of pain to procure the throne just to rule over a bunch of dunderheads who had their intellect rivalling a raging Bull. 

"Harry?" Liam's voice rung through, as he moved up to the throne, "Where are your thoughts running? It's lunch hour."

"I'm thinking of how to execute everyone in the throne room without it leading to a revolt." He answered with his eyes looking at the fellow Alpha in seriousness.

Liam let out a chuckle at the thought process of the Emperor. "You can't expect everyone to see things the way you do, my friend."

"Basic common sense, Liam." He muttered, annoyed, "I'm not asking them to build a new castle or to conquer the entirety of Symphony."

"I understand, Harry." Liam told him, "Don't worry I'm sure you'll gain trusted followers here in some time."

"I hope it's before I go on a killing spree." Harry retorted, following his friend outside the halls for lunch. 

The lunch hour had been another mundane period of time which took place in his room with his wife but it was clear that neither did she have any wits to entertain him nor did he have the patience to deal with the woman and her conversation.

Carefully sliding away from her, Harry made his way to the grounds to get fresh air before resuming his duties in court. 

Accompanied by his guards, the Alpha moved to the veranda which was situated near the gardens. From where he stood, he could clearly overlook the sword fighting which was going on in the grounds. 

Slipping through one another he noticed how easily the man was welding his weapon. It was as if he was witnessing a whirlpool, the ferocity and the sharpness which persisted at the edge was the way his swordplay was. Dodging the attempts from his opponent, he moved away to twirl and give the perfect blow on his knee, decapitating him for a moment and was quick to push away the opponent's weapon to gain him victory. 

The cheering for the winner was almost immediate from the way it looked to the Emperor. Continuing to wait to see who was behind the mask they wore for training, it came to the Alpha's notice that his cousin was making his way to him. Ignoring the fact, his gaze stayed constant upon the man with the sword. 

Removing the mask, he turned to his comrades. Even from where Harry stood, he noticed his man's facial features. Blue eyes, deeper than the glacial waters embodied in oceans of odd lands and he had a sharp face, not the sort that would strike one out of a crowd. No, not that sort. The kind that if one noticed once would make it hard for one not to glance time and again. In contrast to his blue eyes was a mess of brown sculpting his face.

Harry's eyes flickered to his lips, pale pink and he stopped himself right there.

There was no going into that now.

"Harry?" Niall intervened his assessment. "Court in another few minutes, you need to get back."

"Who's that?" Harry threw at the Omega, gesturing towards the brunet. 

"He is one amongst the second tier commanders, Louis Tomlinson." 

"What's his gender?"

"Beta." Turning to the Emperor with an accusing glare, "Why?"

"Is he married?"

"No. Why?"

"He is very pretty."

Niall rubbed his temples at where the conversation was heading, "For god's sake Harry, he is male and a Beta."

"I don't discriminate." Harry smirked in implication causing his cousin to stare at him, skeptical.

"Ask Liam to introduce him to me in the evening." Harry ordered and left the blonde Omega sighing.

* * *

Seated in his chambers alongside Zayn and Niall, Harry was discussing how they could strengthen trade relations with Woodbreeze which was when Liam thought it appropriate to bring the Beta inside from the afternoon.

"Harry," Liam called his attention, "this is Louis Tomlinson, second tier commander of the cavalry."

A fresh wave vanilla splashed through the room, as the man entered. His brown hair was gelled to the side with his fringe gently cascading down his forehead. In form fitting trousers and a ruffled shirt paired with boots, it was positive that Harry was smitten with him. 

It wasn't unnoticed when the Alpha's attention thoroughly shifted from the topic at hand to give him his most flirty smile and with the onset of that expression, Zayn and Niall very well knew the situations which were going to follow. 

"I saw you in the afternoon, brilliant swordsmanship." He complimented him. 

Louis was quick to let a smile surface on his lips, "Thank you, Your Highness." 

"Have a seat," he directed him to which Louis very quickly obeyed. 

"Why don't you trade with them for craft work?" Niall suggested. "Our artisans our well skilled."

"They are," Liam conceded, "but the have better tradesmen from the East."

"Agreed, we'd have a lot of competition." Zayn sided along with the Alpha. 

Pivoting his head towards Louis, Harry lazily drawled, "Tell me Louis how do we improvise our trade relations with Woodbreeze?"

Louis thought for a moment before answering him with care, "Get them wine."

"The soil there doesn't facilitate the growth of grapes although wine is a favourite amongst the folk there." He explained and added, "And people are actually willing to pay a lot for procuring the beverage."

Harry hummed in riposte considering his idea, "I remember our informer telling that wine was pricey there."

"Precisely," Louis shrugged, "it's cheap here, hike up the price there and you get profits plus very strong trade relations."

"Thank you for your insight, Louis." Harry acknowledged. "That was very resourceful of you."

"I'm glad to be of service, Your Highness." Louis replied in sincerity.

"Speaking of service," he said to him, with his green eyes scrutinising the Beta. "I heard you served under my uncle and very swiftly rose to the second tier."

"Yes, I did."

"And what did you think when I took over?"

Zayn wasn't looking at Louis but his attention was very firmly set on his response whereas Niall had promptly ignored all subtleties and awaited the answer from the Beta. It was during times like these the four of them paid absolute attention. When questions like these were asked, it clearly reflected upon the person's character and personality which is how they estimated who could be trusted. 

Louis' brilliant blue flickered to Harry's greens, as he answered, "I thought you possessed very pretty eyes and a beautiful smile."

This response called for a smirk from the Alpha which transformed into a chuckle, "You're dismissed, Louis."

"Have a pleasant night, Your Majesty." He smiled flirtatiously and exited. 

"What an ass licker." Zayn remarked with disdain. 

"You need to lick ass to have a good one." Harry mumbled back with a grin on his face. 

Zayn looked too scandalized by his statement to drop an answer which was why Liam slipped, "Harry, you have a real fucked up brain ."

"If I didn't have a fucked up brain, I wouldn't be Emperor, my dear friend."

"Although," he turned to the three of them, "do you possess any additional knowledge on him?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Niall shot back at him. "He begins training at the ass crack of dawn."

Harry needed to have an early rise the next morning.


	3. Smitten

Louis was in a compromising position. He had a sword right on his lower back and he was holding his own sword behind the Emperor's neck. And all the Emperor was doing was pressing him closer to himself, pushing their chests to create more friction, enabling Louis to stick closer to the Alpha.

How he ended in this sort of a situation was entirely different set of explanations.

The Alpha was present when he arrived to the grounds and in a twist of statements, he convinced the Beta into a duel. In the series of swords clattering against one another and dodging weapons for almost a good hour, Harry had captured him in this position. Provided, both of them had caged one another but that didn't make the predicament any more endearing. 

"I think it's a draw, Your Highness." Louis suggested, very quietly. 

"And I think you're wrong," Harry responded maneuvering him closer to his person. Keeping the sword in place, his fingers raced up to the cloth which was hiding his face. Pulling it away, he noticed the high cheekbones which were flushed pink due to the exertion. 

"Good Lord, you are breathtaking." The Alpha whispered initiating the Beta to lower his gaze. 

Throwing his sword away, Harry let his arms slither upon his waist and pivoted his gaze back upon himself. Before Louis could even attempt to turn away, he crashed his lips upon the Beta's. 

Louis was clearly taken by surprise. His lips remained unmoving for a brief period until he did something which intrigued Harry. Louis' fingers slipped into the Alpha's hair, rutting him against his person. Pushing him closer, the clattering of the sword was heard against the floor. 

It wasn't long before, Harry had slammed the man to the pillar. Harry's dominance could've been concealed but it was never contained. Passion was coursing through his veins, as his tongue assaulted the Beta's. His fingers were pressing into the flesh through his clothes and every moment which passed by instigated him to rip Louis' clothes and claim him. It was as though fire was running through his veins asking him to do things to him, things which were definitely more than what he was indulging in. 

Pulling away from the Emperor, all Louis did was stare at him in disbelief at what had just happened. 

"Lunch in my room today," the Alpha told him before the Beta could even react, "I'll expect your company."

"I don't mean offence, Your Highness," Louis called out, as he noticed the Alpha turned around, "I'm not a whore for your personal needs, if you do need one I'm sure there are more suitable candidates."

Harry stopped in his tracks and turned to Louis, taking his chin between his index finger and thumb. "Everybody is a whore, Louis."

"We sell different parts of us to different people." He told him with his thumb rubbing against his lips.

"Lucky that I'm not a businessman then." Louis responded, curtly and pushed his hand away from his fingers.

Harry's eyes sparkled at the retaliation and a smirk descended upon his lips, "Lunch."

"I won't try anything funny." He added onto give his reassurance.

Louis didn't seem convinced.

* * *

The King's chambers had an elaborate trail of guards. 

As soon as one entered, there was a sitting area having maroon coloured divans and sofas with a lovely small table in between. Moving further into the cavity was a lovely chandelier, made of clear glass with candles carefully placed on it. 

The marble flooring had a dining table towards the left and bookshelves to the right both of which were partitioned by wooden boho screens. The study which was divided led through to a vintage balcony overlooking the pool of water and the vineyard. Finally at the end of the caverns was a bed situated on a higher elevation. The room in the most modest way could be described as ostentatious.

When Louis stepped into the Emperor's lodging, the resonance arriving to his ears were, "You came."

"I decided to believe your words," Louis replied and moved towards him.

"I don't know if that's really wise or not." Harry smirked and gestured him towards the divider.

Sauntering into the dining part of the room, Louis took a seat on the mahogany table while the Emperor asked for the food to be served. 

While the food was being decorated on the table, the Alpha asked for wine which arrived to be placed beside the King in a glass bottle. As Louis served himself food, all he noticed was how Harry's gaze was radiating in his direction. Louis did not need to shift his line of sight to aver what Harry's eyes effortlessly made him feel. Naked. The man was so facilely dominating that even a whiff of his scent could trigger all the emotions he kept under the wraps. And that was exactly what Harry was in the process of doing even at that moment. Torturing the poor Beta with his perfection.

In a hopeless attempt to cease the examination, Louis questioned, "You don't eat lunch with the Queen?"

"I do," Harry muttered, pouring the wine into the silver goblets, "but I do it only when I deem it necessary."

"And she's not your queen," he added, "she's someone I married because I can't ascend to the throne if I'm without a partner."

"So you're open to polygamy?"

"It's more of a situation where I do what I need to get what I want.

"So you don't believe in love and commitment?"

"I believe in compatibility."

"So you believe there is someone who is as insane as you are?"

"I approve of your thoughts." Harry chuckled at the statement and poured the wine into the goblet. 

"Glad you do."

"Why haven't you taken an Omega?" Louis alternated and took a bite of the steak.

"You're a curious little thing aren't you?" 

Louis permitted a smile.

"I haven't found anyone worthy." Harry admitted, "I also don't deem it needed at this point in my life."

"Or are you frivolous, Your Majesty?" Louis questioned with his eyes glinting mischief, pulling the goblet to his lips.

Harry picked his vessel of wine and retaliated with a sugary tone, "Or maybe I was waiting for you to grace me with your presence."

"Your words-" Louis stopped midway, as he pulled the goblet back and sniffed the wine. 

"What's wrong?"

Louis' steely gaze was cold and alarming when he looked at the Alpha, "It's poisoned."

A simmering silence settled into the room. Looking taken back at the sudden confrontation, Harry turned to the Beta, "How can you tell?"

"Tea tree oil," he confirmed and for the sake of it additionally supplied, "I can smell it."

* * *

The entire palace had been awoken at the known attempt of poisoning the King. Since the lunch he spent with Louis, there had been two additional events of possible assassination. Surprisingly, both the happenings involved poison in it and although it was a close save, Louis did identify them both and had kept the Alpha's life intact. In no manner were the situations ignored and Harry had assured they hadn't been. 

Everyone who stayed in the palace were interrogated with scrutiny beginning from the cooks. With no lead to follow the inquiry had paused but the security of the palace had improvised significantly. No food could be eaten by the king before checking for any traces of poison and being ingested by the cook himself.

The entire palace had turned into a war front with heightened awareness and more people guarding every entry and exit. Harry was certain that the person behind this would strike again, irrefutably and that exact moment would be when he apprehended him. Until then the Emperor was throwing a flawless charade of maintaining unaffected but his eyes continued to assess everyone with eyes of scrutiny. Although in private, he continued to think about probable reasons and suspects in the solidarity of his friends and sometimes, Louis.

"Why would anybody do it?" Niall repeated, "Your half brother isn't here, nobody from your uncle's family is alive."

The Omega was seated alongside Harry and the rest of their small circle for lunch which distinctly involved Louis. Niall and Liam were skeptical of the Beta but Zayn had as vendetta against him. The reason was not known but the Omega beauty didn't take long to voice out the displeasure Louis' presence caused him. And when Zayn didn't like someone he was nowhere close or even in the vicinity of subtlety.

"It makes no sense." Liam added to Niall's statement.

"It doesn't," Zayn affirmed and moved his conversation to the Alpha at the head of the table, "which is why you must postpone your celebrations, Harry."

"I realise your worry, Zayn," the Alpha responded, "but I'm not going to call it off for that sake."

"I don't mean to intervene but he is right, Your Highness," Louis interjected into the conversation, "the celebrations would give an opportunity for this person to do worse."

"But we could certainly catch him in the act while doing it instead of unnecessarily looking back upon our shoulders." Harry alternated his argument. 

"Looking back is better than dying, Harry." Niall advised. 

"And why is your brother not here?" Zayn questioned additively. 

Harry glared at him in knowing. It was discreet information of his brother being thrown to govern another province in Symphony. The reasons for the situation were entirely unknown. But few people who were close enough were aware of how his Alpha brother Jaymes had attempted to assault the Emperor's wife. In rejoinder to the incident, he had sent the Alpha away from Verloren. After that the incident was forbidden to be thought about nevermind mentioned. 

"I recall." Zayn threw away, as the reason returned to him. 

"I'd still stand on the advice of cancelling the feast." Niall muttered, ignoring his friend and keeping his gaze steadily on the Emperor. To this the Alpha reluctantly held up his thoughts and gave, "I'll give it a thought."

Returning to the turkey meat before them, the dinner continued in cold silence. The clattering of the cutlery against glass was the only sound heard until someone dared to break the ritualistic stillness. 

"Your Majesty, when should the hot water bag for your back be brought?" The soldier intervened in between their dining. 

Harry thought for a moment and then allowed an answer, "In an hour."

Acknowledging what had been said the soldier bowed his head and stepped away causing Liam to question him. "What's wrong?"

"Is it your back?" Niall voiced out his concern.

Harry shook his head in dismissal and turned to them, "My shoulders, the muscles hurt too much."

"Why didn't you get a masseuse?" Zayn suggested. 

"They don't hit the right places and when they don't do that, I hit them so it's better I do not have masseuses," Harry shrugged with a grin.

"Why don't you try warm salt instead?" Louis' questioned. 

"For the shoulder muscles that gives more relief than hot water," he educated and took a sip of his wine. "You should try that?"

"And that knowledge is privy to healers," Niall trailed and smirked at him, clearly glad of Louis' release of information, "where'd you learn that?"

"I'm just resourceful." Louis smiled knowingly, moving his attention back to his food. 

"Surprisingly, even I am, you know?" Zayn mused and his hazel meet Louis' electric blue, "Resourceful, I mean."

"Which is why I don't get," He walked down the words in a slow and deliberate fashion, "Why did the poisoning suddenly begin when you started whatever you started with the King?"

Louis' was taken back at the insinuation and his visage bore attestation to that, he was appalled by the path of thought Zayn was treading. "I did not poison him."

"Never said you did," the Omega shrugged and smiled in a sickly sweet manner, "just said that it was convenient."

"I did not poison him." Louis repeated and got up from his seat, "Just because I am a resourceful person doesn't imply in any manner that I have motives to kill."

With that the Beta stormed out of the chambers which belonged to the King.


	4. Serenity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thank all of you for your lovely comments and appreciation of my story. They keep me motivated to continue writing.
> 
> A special mention to _livewhilewereyoung _I like your thoughts on the story and would love to have more of them.__

Harry was taking steep steps, as he took the path through the gardens. The sky above him was no longer painted red. The sun had disappeared quite some time back thereby diminishing the natural source of illumination, leaving the stars to the mercy of their own resistance. Adding the fact that there was a gust of cold in the winds showcased that the rain could bring advent anytime, as summer began to dissipate. 

The men who were walking around the King held torches to illuminate the path before him, as he stepped further front. On arriving at the destination, the men before him slowly bifurcated at the entrance allowing only the Alpha and the guards behind him to enter the building. 

The red sandstone of the building had been carved with artistic depictions of war. The tiles which had been slammed onto the ground for the flooring brought in a sense normalcy to the King. Considering that he had spent more time of his life in establishments like these than lavish rooms which he received now. 

Moving through the veranda, he stepped before the doors and knocked upon the shut entrance. 

Harry knew the rules to be followed for anybody who resided in these quarters and he was well aware of how strict they were. From curfew to mealtimes, the times were specific and unchangeable and when doors closed, it just meant you were supposed to stay out for disregarding regulations. Everyone who was in the army and stayed in these apartments were subjected to them regardless of their status. 

"You do realise that you're not allowed-" The warden began, as she opened the door and paused in abruption. 

"Your Highness, forgive me for the cavalier approach." The woman apologized.

"It's all right." Harry forgave and made his way into the quarters which was sprawling with the energy from the soldiers who were very much awake and moving through the place. 

A few of them were drinking in the corner whereas the others were playing cards and the rest of the men were whiling away time talking. The activities came to a haste pause, as realisation struck the men who quickly stood up and lined themselves in accord. 

"You want to address them, Your Highness?" The woman questioned. 

"In truth, I've come in search for someone," Harry told in all honesty, as he passed through the soldiers who willingly gave him a pathway to move. "There is a Beta named Louis Tomlinson, does he stay in these quarters?"

"Yes, he does," the warden told him, "I'll bid him call."

"That's not required," Harry acknowledged, "just direct me as to where he is lodged." 

"Where is Louis at the moment?" The woman questioned the soldiers who were lined before him.

"With Reus, I presume, in his forge." The man answered. 

"I shall take you to him," the warden declared and led him into the interiors of the apartments. Traversing further inside to the inner caverns of the place, Harry's eyes descended upon the backyard which had a line of herbs. Moving through, she showed him to the tiny open space at the corner which had sheets of steel to make an overhanging of a sort. 

"Lou, come on tell me," a male voice resonated, "what's going on?"

"There is nothing-" pausing his response, there were footsteps heading in his direction and with that the curtain which separated the two worlds was pushed away.

Louis looked very less regal than how he usually did. His brown hair was pushed back with the help of a bandana and his sleeves were rolled up. He was flushing red with grease all over his neck and hands, his eyes seemed dull and his visage bore an unimpressed expression. 

"Reus," the woman addressed, "come. The Emperor desires Louis' company."

The blonde Beta slid away from the place and quietly followed the warden. Dismissing, the guard around him, Harry turned his attention to Louis. 

"Louis." The Alpha breathed in exasperation. "Why have you been avoiding me?"

After Zayn threw his implications a week prior, Louis had been distant. He minimised his dealings with the Emperor and had grown excessively skittish whenever he was in his presence, drawing up the most absurd reasons to excuse himself. The Alpha was distinctly displeased by the development. He wanted Louis around him, he wanted to talk to him, he wanted to train with him. All in all, he just wanted the man beside him. 

"I did no such thing," Louis denied immediately. 

"You said you were sick that's why you didn't turn up for training." Harry repeated what the soldier had informed him early in the morning. 

"I did have an upset stomach in the morning." Louis justified. 

"And yesterday?"

"I had gone down to the market."

"The day before that?"

"I overslept."

At this point in the conversation, Harry was glaring at Louis in knowledge of his pointless reasoning which the Alpha knew were clear lies. 

"Louis." Harry's voice rung with a warning sliding through it.

"What?"

"I know you're upset." 

"You do?" Louis questioned with sarcasm etched in his voice. 

"I know Zayn crossed a line there," Harry attempted to appease him. 

"My life was fine. In honesty it was more peaceful," he snapped vehemently, "without you in it."

Harry looked offended at what was said but was quick to conceal the expression on his face. Reaching out to Louis' hand, he yanked the Beta towards his person causing him to lurch into the Alpha's arms. "There is a celebration in two days."

"So you aren't listening to Zayn's infallible advice?"

"Louis." Harry's voice drawled again, as his eyes remained constant upon the Beta whose face didn't change his expression from annoyance, firmly turned away from the Alpha's gaze. "I want you there, Louis."

"To see whether you're assassinated appropriately?" 

"Shut up," Harry smirked and held his chin to turn towards himself. "I want you there."

"I'm not even remotely interested." 

"Beta, I don't beg," the Alpha repeated himself and kissed his cheek playfully, regardless of the severity. "Do come."

"Harry," Louis addressed with no hint of petulance, "I am sure the men from the apartments behind you can see us."

"So if they weren't present, you wouldn't have any problems?" 

"That depends on you detaching yourself from my person." 

Letting go of the Beta, the warmth which held him to the Alpha had clasped the two of them together, dissipated. The embers from the hot iron were the only source of light, as the cold night caught up on wrapping the two who stood in the midst. Suddenly, Louis' hand was taken by the Alpha and was brought to his lips. His eyes suspiciously peered while the Alpha's lips gently traced over the back of his hand eliciting goosebumps from the surface of his skin. 

"Come."

Louis' determination was sold.

* * *

The palace which resided in Verloren was illuminated under the light of the stars. Additionally, the palace itself had been lit up in easy going flares of gold all through the windows and railings. The carpeted floors lead to the staircase which descended into the marble ground of the halls.

The architecture of the banquet hall was scintillating. With broad curtains leaving the moonlight inside through the coloured windows, leaving the light illuminate the lovely mirrored hall. The silvery moonlight combined with the soft golden glow left the pillared place filled with radiance. People glided through the floor with ease as they interacted with one another and congratulated the King on his ascension.

"I don't understand," Zayn grumbled and took a sip of the wine. 

"Now what's your problem?" Niall questioned rolling his eyes. Regardless of how many tantrums Zayn threw, his expression was schooled into stoicism. Nobody would ever be able to decipher what the Omega felt until those thoughts formulated into words which dripped of vengeance. 

"My problem?" Zayn looked at him incredulously. "My problem is that Harry is acting like a lunatic due to that brat."

Niall's eyes had steered clear from Zayn, as they assessed the floor but continued to talk, "Why are you so against Louis?" 

"Why don't you not have an issue with him?"

Annoyed at the lack of response from Niall, Zayn's eyes turned to the direction in which his gaze was suddenly fixed. When the Omega's eyes fell on the Beta who was descending down the staircase in a pair of dark blue robes. The clear velvet robes had a lining of shining silver, the inner shirts were patterned with whorls of silver threading all over the shirts whereas his slacks had a vine of white growing on the sides until his ankles which were covered with black boots. His hair had been curled into a quiff with a few strands falling over his forehead while his blue eyes gleamed brightly, descending down the staircase. 

Slowly sliding away to the side, the Beta tried his best to run away from the sudden attention he was receiving from the presences. Cloaking himself in the presence of the few people he knew at the gathering while eyes continued to follow him.

As he returned Louis' attention to the fellow Beta, he noticed Harry approaching the two Omegas from a distance. That being the reason he didn't notice when a fellow Alpha commander approached him. "Louis," he addressed him, "would you do the honour of accompanying me for a dance?" 

Louis, regardless of his status in the present, he never forgot his lineage or etiquette. And whenever such a situation occurred, he willingly called forth his mannerisms and always acted accordingly. One amongst those happenings were at that moment. 'Whenever someone asked you to dance, you shall not decline.' The words rang like a warning bell in his ears. 

Looking at the man in question, he nodded his head in acquiesce. 

With that, he took Louis to the corner from where the dance was supposed to begin and stood. It didn't take the man long to notice that the Emperor was standing on his other side with Zayn on his right side whereas Liam stood with another woman on Harry's other side. 

The sound of the violin filled the halls with a sense of tranquillity, accompanied with the melody of the piano. Louis danced swiftly on his feet, the music was familiar he could take his oath that he had heard it before somewhere. Swaying to the soft notes accompanied by moderate undertones strung by the man playing the harp, he felt his muscles loosening. A sense of calm overcoming his body.

This was his natural habitat.

Dancing had been away from him far too long. Perhaps this had been one of the fair reasons why he didn't notice the swap of partners that had been made.

Striking green eyes regarded him, cautious and evasive but welcoming and beckoning at the same time. But that's how he felt towards Harry, the odd complex. He removed himself from the depth of surrealism and regained control of his mind.

Erratically turning away from the green hues, he pooled his concentration to the dance. Protracting to slide through the floor, they synced in perfection. Hands on one another while their feet moved with ease with the lack of a conversation which was what Harry averted.

"You came." 

"Tragically."

Harry smirked in response and prepared to retort but was beaten to it by Louis, "You know what is your middle name, Your Highness?"

Surprised at the sudden question which was thrown at him, he knitted his eyebrows in anticipation of the answer. 

"'Not Subtle', that's your middle name."

After a moment of realisation, Harry understood the reference and chuckled at the snarky comment. 

"How very astute of you to realise my motives."

"You weren't very subtle to begin with," Louis responded, "making another commander ask me so you could dance after the swap."

"Although, I must say," Harry muttered, lifting him up for a turn after which Louis balanced himself perfectly, "you look beautiful in my colours."

"Not to offend you in any manner Your Majesty," Louis said, "but blue is my colour."

Harry's dimple was in vision when he grinned at the riposte given to him, "Then do I look pleasing in your colours?"

Breaking away his gaze, Louis' expression clearly showed discomfort. Noticing the sudden aversion, he questioned him, "What's wrong?"

"You make me feel good and then let other people verbally assault me for associating myself with you."

Harry's facial features grew into hard stone, clearly unhappy about what Louis told him, "Louis, Zayn is protective of all of us so-"

"-he accuses anybody you take a liking to?"

"Louis." Harry's voice strung in clear upset of the deviation to the Beta's vocation. 

"I wouldn't hurt you," he cut him off and held the Alpha tighter to pronounce conviction of the statement, "and I know you have no reason to believe me but I wouldn't hurt you."

Harry was stunned for a very fleeting moment and schooled himself into a facade again, "I believe you."

"You're lying," Louis muttered in dissatisfaction. "You don't need to reassure me but I'd just want you to know that."

No sooner did Louis say that the dance came to a halt causing him to bow to the Alpha who led him. On the dispersal, he was haste to scurry away from the Emperor who looked longingly in his direction. 

Without a second thought, the Alpha trailed behind Louis and stood beside him. Causing the people around him to promptly move away when he gestured him for privacy. "Louis, give me a-"

The loud sound which emanated caught the attention of everyone present. Garnering the Alpha Emperor's ministration, Harry moved away to the balcony to see what exactly happened. And the sight which greeted him was ghastly. The body of his wife was bloodied on the muddy ground. Red viscous liquid spreading like a steady plague on the mud with her eyes lowering down. 

The silence had come too early and the storm was in the periphery.


	5. Scythe

It had been ten days since the funeral. It was declared that Mairah had slipped from the balcony of her rooms and fallen to her death. A case of severe misfortune. The funeral had been a painful affair. Solemn definitely but painful. Nobody spoke except for the priest who conducted the last rites of his wife. The Emperor had maintained an appearance of complete indifference. He hadn't spoken to anybody and just nodded in adherence when people offered their condolences. 

Eventually, Harry had resumed courtly affairs to bring back the appearance of semblance which he hadn't truly lost. He had continued the affairs of the court but behind the screens, under the veils of discretion, he had directed for a spy to go to the depths of her death and it wasn't long until he'd get conclusive results. Till then he kept up the charade of the grieving husband. 

While he waited for Louis to join him for lunch, the maidservants lined the table with food. When the commander did come, Harry was pouring wine in the goblets. 

"You could at least look like you're upset about your wife's death," Louis commented casually, as he walked into the room. 

"I am upset," Harry justified immediately, "but not enough to grieve."

Louis shook his head in dismissal of the Emperor's nonchalance and took a seat. "Doesn't seem like that either. Seems like you're overjoyed."

"Maybe I have something up my sleeve."

"You always have something up your sleeve."

"For someone who knows me for a very small period of time," Harry drawled lazily, with a grin on his lips, "you know me too well, Louis."

Louis smirked at the words said by the Alpha and leaned in to give a kiss on his cheek to the blatant surprise of the Alpha. "But that is not why I came here."

"I need to talk to you regarding something," Louis added and took the glass of wine. 

"I'm all ears," Harry told him but interjected, "although I must know, where did you learn your waltz? The way you dance is exquisite." 

The compliment caused Louis to flush immediately, shying away from the Alpha. Consequently, he did giggle a response. "Maybe I was just a dance instructor." 

"Why do I not believe that?" Harry questioned, his eyes squinting in assessment, initiating Louis to giggle harder. Somehow the reverberations of his laughter tugged onto the Alpha's chest causing him to give up a smile at the Beta. Taking the man's hand, he slowly raked his fingers upon his hand causing Louis to smile at the gesture. "Tell me what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Hardly did Louis begin to talk the matter he desired, Zayn burst into the room. Startling the occupants of the room, he stood before them with a hurried stance. When no response came from the Omega, Harry's eyebrows rose, nudging him to talk. 

"He is trying to kill you." Zayn pointed out at Louis. "I'm sure he has poisoned the wine, Mairah was given poisonous beverages every day."

Louis' blues weren't impressed at the accusation causing the Beta to immediately snatch the goblet from the Alpha's hand and gulped down the wine which caused Zayn to evaluate him with suspicion. 

"I wouldn't hurt you," he repeated the statement with more force looking at Harry. "And what I did want to say is that I'm leaving, I can't deal with your friends' stupidity anymore."

Standing up from his place, Louis was looked at Harry with hurt clearly displayed on his face, "I wanted to spend time with you before I leave but it's clear I can't entertain the thought."

Louis was quick to leave after that announcement, causing Harry's temper to fuel through the roof at Zayn. "Why do you think he is out to get me?"

"Harry, he isn't what he shows himself to be," Zayn warranted. "There is something about him which isn't right."

"Zayn, I am extremely perceptive. I am sure if he had ill intentions, I would know." 

"I don't think you would, Your Highness." A voice told him. 

"Forgive me for the intrusion but I needed to have an audience with you," the brunet addressed the fellow Alpha.

"Speak plainly, Shawn." Harry ordered him.

"Your wife's death wasn't an accident, she died out of poisoning." He explained to him, "In fact, she was already dying before she accidentally slipped."

Harry's eyebrows furrowed at the news which was received, "She used to have lemon juice during the early hours and there was always a powdery constituent in her drink." 

"Did you identify the poison?" 

"Apple seeds." 

"And did you identify the person?"

Shawn sighed and looked at Harry, continuing his story with disappointment clouding his face, "It's Louis, he has too many unneeded Apple seeds in his quarters, alongside that every morning he drinks lemon juice with a powdery substance in it."

"And one day the chef saw him exchanging the glasses," Shawn concluded.

"You're positive, it was him?"

"There are too many pieces of evidence pointing in his direction." 

Harry turned away from the two of them feeling anger boil down into his veins. The Alpha believed him, he trusted in his words and Louis betrayed him. "Imprison him. I'll decide what to do with him later."


	6. Seamless

Harry was twisting in cold sweat. Perspiration was running through his skin, as he forced his eyes to draw upon sleep but everything seemed to pour down in vain. He clenched the silken sheets in agony but in return, he received nothing in response, just more annoyance which burdened his shoulders.

It had been almost a month since Louis had been imprisoned. Through this time period, Harry had been plagued with the Beta. His eyes, his touch. Even the perfume he wore was missing Louis' breath. And that tortured the Alpha, elevating his agony. Louis had lied to him and to the Emperor was treason. He despised lies and although he had quite a temper, everyone knew that the consequences of lying would be worse than a fit of anger. That being the reason he did not understand why Louis was on his mind. 

He had re-evaluated the situation too many times and the only positive conclusion he received was to confront Louis.

Darting out from his bed, he quickly pulled a robe over his skin and ran down with his guards behind him. Letting his feet drag him to the dungeons, he ignored everyone who greeted him on his way in the pursuit to reach his destination.

Ordering the men to light the way before him by the means of a fire, he travelled through the darkness of the cells to reach Louis' cell in conclusion. 

Gesturing to unlock the door, he quietly stepped into the cell and asked the others to leave the two of them alone. 

"I hope you've not come to tell me that you're deciding to free me," the voice welcomed him, "because if you do that, you'll be the first person I'm coming after."

"I'm not releasing you." Harry snapped back.

"Then why the fuck are you here?!" Louis screeched back, getting up from the slab and pushing the Emperor away from where he stood. 

"Why did you kill her?" Harry questioned him.

"I don't owe you an answer," he told him blankly, "I had a vendetta, I accomplished it."

"Which is why you lied to me."

Louis' blues looked furious under the fire of the torch which was kept near the entrance, "I did no such thing, I omitted the truth." He verified with vehemence etched in his voice and hurt veiled in his eyes, "I did not lie to you when I said I would never hurt you."

"I came here to kill your wife not you," he justified, additionally he put forth, "and if I did want to kill you, I assure you, you would've been dead by now."

"But you lied, you were the one who killed her." 

"But you didn't ask me about it, did you?" Louis retorted back. "Your friends accused me about you and I reassured you that I would never hurt you, I wish I had though."

Harry stared at him in disbelief, "Louis, that doesn't make you less guilty."

"Tell me you cared about her, tell me you are actually upset over her death, tell me you loved her," Louis retaliated, "if you don't feel any of those, you're as responsible as I am."

"And I'm not guilty," he snarled at him, turning away, "I am proud that she is dead and I'm willing to do it again."

Harry glared at the determination which Louis exhibited. The blandishment was riveting. Neither was he afraid of admitting to what he had committed nor did he give up the fact that he hadn't betrayed the Alpha in any manner whatsoever. Although there was something present in him, something which couldn't be pointed out for the reasoning behind this chain of events. And Harry intended to find the heart of the matter. 

"Did you mean what you said during the dance?"

Louis was caught off guard with the question. Peering at Harry with his lips pursed, he slowly nodded his head and admitted, "Yes, I did."

No sooner did Harry hear this, he shook his head in acknowledgement, "I'll decide on what your fate will be very soon."

* * *

When the soldier came to fetch Louis, the Beta was assured that he was going to undergo public execution. It had been a prolonged number of days. Instead, he was taken to Harry's private chambers for reasons he was yet to know. 

On entering the familiar chambers, Louis felt the light weighing upon his eyes. He had lost the sense of time due to the prolonged number of days he was captured. The sight of the dark red curtains reminded him of the first time he ever entered the sanctuary.

Traversing further into his chambers, he was met with Liam who didn't tell him a word but just gestured to the seat before him. "The Emperor has given you one chance to save yourself from execution."

"Don't need one." He answered carelessly, "Execute me."

"Oh, you will be executed." Liam assured him, "I trust the fates to that but the Alpha has asked a test for your," turning his hazel browns at Louis and spat with distaste, "luck."

Louis rolled his eyes at clear disrespect of the Alpha before him and chuckled to further instigate irate in him. "Screw you."

"Bind his hands," Liam ordered. 

The order was followed instantly causing Louis to glare at the Alpha before him on issuing of such a statement. 

"Bring the glasses." The Alpha commanded consequently. 

The next thing presented before Louis was a gold tray with three identical bronze glasses filled with wine. 

"One contains poison, one contains imprisonment and the other freedom." Liam briefed him and directed, "You need to drink from one."

"Where is he?"

"That's none of your business."

"If I die right now," he said wistfully staring at the glasses and then gained vanity, "my only regret is not attending Zayn's funeral."

"You better keep your mouth shut about him!" 

"Or what?" Louis scowled with a smirk etched on his face. 

"Drink the god damn thing!" He glowered, running his hands through his hair in frustration.

Holding Liam's gaze for a few moments, he turned away to glare at the glasses placed before him. Louis' eyes smoothened over the glasses placed before him and smelt it quietly. Jolting back into his seat, his eyebrows furrowed and then suddenly the glance turned to Liam's direction. 

"Second one."

Stepping forward Liam let down a comment, "You're drinking to die or to live?"

Letting a chuckle escape from his lips, "Let's find out."

As soon as Louis finished drinking the cup of wine, there was the sound of metal clinking against the base of the glass. Suspending the glass to remove the source of the sound, Liam held out a ring up to Louis'. 

"Is that imprisonment or freedom?" The Beta questioned him.

"That depends on the way you see it."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?!"

"It means you're going to get married to Harry."


	7. Sterling

The next few minutes which passed were a thorough blur to Louis. He hardly understood what was going on. The iron totters were taken off and he was left alone in the room with the ring sitting before him on the table. A thin band of silver with Sapphire in between and tiny diamonds around it. Elegance in simplicity. 

As he sat on the table comprehending what had occurred in actuality, the noise of footsteps broke through the blur of his perception. In not time Harry was seated before him.

"Liam told me what you choose." Harry addressed, his voice snapping Louis from the haze he was in. "You're marrying me."

"Was that freedom or imprisonment?" He questioned in reference to the incident. 

"Depends on how you see it, Louis."

"I can't just get married to you after murdering your wife!"

"Nobody knows the murdering bit of the story," Harry muttered nonchalantly, his visage stone cold. "As far as Mairah is concerned, her death was an accident."

"And they will be okay if you take a man?!" Louis vocalised. "A beta at that?!"

"They know I am grieving."

"You aren't grieving."

"That's beside the point."

Louis looked at him unconvinced of the Alpha's intentions. "And the heir to the throne?"

"I'm too young for that Louis, I'll think about that when the subject is actually proving to be a hindrance." 

"That's called negligence."

"I'm not negligent."

Louis scoffed and tilted his head towards the side, "So you do have a plan for the heir too."

"I'm just something which caught your eye and you desire it." He added alongside to the previous said words both vehemence looming around them. 

"If you think so, so be it," Harry replied, unmoved by Louis' thoughts. "But if you don't have any good reason why I shouldn't marry you until then the wedding is in three days."

Louis' was shaken by the straightforward approach the Emperor used. It left no room for doubt in following any of the aforementioned instructions. Almost seemed like he had planned it too meticulously and as effortless as sipping on water.

"And you will be evaluated in other manners in the next few days," Harry added hastily. 

"What do you mean evaluated?!"

"On your dancing skills," the Alpha smirked, "you did mention you were a dance instructor."

* * *

Louis was petulant. Even if he wasn't he was sure as hell trying to be difficult. From not complying to have an audience with anybody to create a hindrance for the tailors who were stitching his clothes, he was proving to be as annoying as a child. 

With the wedding being the following day, nearly everyone had a gut that the Beta was assuredly going to deny the Alpha at the altar. 

"Harry," Zayn's voice started and before he could even talk his mind further, the Alpha knew with the dissuading tone of his friend and through that tone, which subject was going to come forth. "Why him? If you want a Beta, I'll get you someone who is one hundred times better than him."

"Zayn, I-"

"No, Harry!" Zayn intervened, "Why him?! He is a murderer for fuck's sake!"

"So are you, so am I so is everyone in this room." Harry responded nonchalantly taking a bite off his food. 

"But Harry, what is it that you see in him?" Liam questioned this time. His hazel browns were unimpressed, out of the three friends he had Liam was the most supportive. Regardless of what the Alpha decided on, Liam was a constant wall behind all of his actions. He seldom questioned them and often added upon how he could make any of his ventures easier. And for him to say question his motives gave Harry a clear reason to worry for. 

"I do not despise Louis in any regard although neither do I favour his breathing in particular." Liam reasoned with him, "but he is not someone who can rule by your side." 

"He is neither of Royal lineage nor is he refined in his demeanour." He added, frustration evident in his talk. 

No sooner did Liam finish voicing out than Niall finally intervened, "I think you should go ahead with this wedding."

Zayn and Liam snapped their heads towards the Omega in amazement, the sudden declaration captured everyone's attention especially Harry's. 

"Are you insane?" Zayn darted out at him. 

"Louis belongs to those kinds of people who can tell no to Harry, he can point out what he is doing wrong change the course of his actions and get away after doing all of that." Niall listed out. "Harry needs someone like him."

The three of them where staring blankly at Niall with no response on the tip of their tongues. 

"But Niall-"

"-No," he cut Zayn off in between his objection, "you're not seeing things the way I am, Harry needs this Beta more than he needs either of us."

"If the marriage doesn't work out, you can always hire someone to kill him." Niall alternated reasonably. "But marry him, Haz. I've never seen someone sync in with you so much in my life as much as he did in a few days."

"Niall, you are aware of what you're saying, right?" Liam asked him, clearly appalled. 

"I am." Niall said, seriously, his eyes sober, "and as your brother, Harry, I thoroughly agree to this alliance even if your friends don't."

That's all was what Niall said before he moved away from the dining table causing Liam and Zayn in Harry's company. The Alpha and Omega followed the suit and left him alone until the brown-haired Alpha did pause to turn to the Emperor.

"Harry," he recited his name, "trust in your instincts.

* * *

The conversation did nothing to lighten Harry's mind. His thoughts were still strung upon whether his impulses were getting the better of his conscience. Most of the time Harry's impulses never failed him. Whether it was to lead a war or to execute a murder, his impulses and instincts never let him down. But this situation was making him second guess everything. He was doubting his instincts over Louis' motives and questioning his decision of marrying him. Louis was bringing out the doubt in him which he buried alongside his mother when she died. He was making him irrational and his rationale did not approve of that. 

Everything he did had been washed over his mind like waves on a shore, Louis was like a disease which he had caught and refused to let him or his thoughts at peace unless he attained him. Louis was haunting him and his decisions in ways which he never knew were possible. 

Abruptly turning, he attempted to chide the thoughts climbing onto his brain. As he withdrew from his circle of thoughts, footsteps approaching closer to his bed alerted the man. Grasping the dagger under his pillow and held it close until the man came and touched his hand, nudging him to wakeup. 

"Harry." Louis' voice called out, shaking him harder. "Wake up."

Intrigued at his presence, he turned to wake up in the most natural way he could act out without suspicion following him. 

"What are you doing here?" The Alpha asked, sitting up. 

"My mind is a raging storm and the thoughts infested are in no manner giving an allowance of sleep." Louis complained to him.

"And why is that so?" 

"Because my mind is behaving rational and is questioning your motives." Louis retorted back, his blue eyes were glimmering in the dark due to the proximity of the candles on his stands. "Why do you want to marry me? What is your ulterior goal?"

Harry was quiet, as he carefully analysed Louis' sculpted face, "I don't have one, Louis."

"You obviously do." He scowled. "Why would you marry me otherwise?!"

"I think you will make a good partner." 

Louis was sceptical and his face wasn't afraid to say, "Give me one reason to trust you."

"Don't," Harry shot back at him, bringing Louis to stare at him in inaction, "take a leap of faith."

"I'm taking one," the Alpha told him, holding his gaze, "you should too."

Louis' eyebrows furrowed as soon as he heard the response. Looking at Harry, as he lowered the candelabra, "But there is something you need to know that might make you reconsider me."

"Go ahead, Louis." Harry permitted, "Dissuade me." 

The silence which persisted was killing Harry. He was desperate to know what maelstrom was under construction in Louis' head but all he could see were canvasses of blue glaring at him. 

"I am not actually," Louis pronounced slowly, enunciating each word meticulously, "I am not actually in favour of the colour of the robes you sent."

"That's hardly going to make me reconsider you, Louis," Harry told him truthfully. 

"But I want them changed," Louis told childishly. 

"And I'll get that done," Harry responded. "Anything else, Your Highness?"

Louis flickered his eyes away and placed the candelabra away on the bedside table, "I want a say in your decision making and political affairs of the province." 

At this demand, Harry was taken back and turns out that Louis had more to say. 

"I want to sit during your court sessions and I want to play an active role in building the province." He concluded. 

Grinning at the demand brought before him, he replied in the same haste manner, "If your comments or pieces of advice are uncalled for you won't be allowed to have a voice in decisions anymore."

"Agreed." Louis acquiesced, "My training will continue with the other Beta soldiers."

"Now to that, I can't agree." Harry told Louis, disapproving of what was asked, "I'd prefer it if you practice with me instead in the evenings."

"No, I want to practice with them and according to my discretion with you."

"This will be negotiated upon." Harry gave his verdict upon, clearly not in favour of the proposition.

"The murder is never brought up nor are my associations in the past until I bring it up." Louis put forth. 

To this Harry gave an immediate nod.

"We're equals in this relationship."

"I'll think about that." Harry retorted playfully causing Louis to make accommodation for the gaze of scepticism at him. 

"Most importantly," he arrived at the final demand, "I want fidelity."

Now, this grabbed all of Harry's attention. The requisition was unexpected especially for a person like Louis to permit himself to ask the Emperor this since Harry was aware of how hard the shell around the Beta was. He was still surprised that Louis' ego granted him to ask that from the Alpha. And if he did just request for it, it spoke a lot about how much the Beta cared. 

"You don't want me to sleep around?" He verified.

"Not just that," Louis clarified, "I don't want you to ever take another Omega nor a Beta in marriage with you without my consent."

"That's demanding," Harry commented, leaning back on the headboard. 

"Take it or leave it."

"What do I get in return?" 

"I'm marrying you, is that not sufficient?"

"Not enough, Louis." Harry bartered. "I want you to learn etiquette, Louis. You will be presented to the kingdom and I don't want them to see as a brute."

Louis looked at Harry sporting a very amused expression, "You think I should learn etiquette? Humour me."

"Just to groom you to behave in a manner befitting royalty." He verified. 

"Harry," Louis began, a smile ghosting over his, "I'm a very good dance instructor so I assume I have good etiquette too."

"But I'd like you to get groomed anyway."

"Trust me, etiquette is the last thing you need to worry about."

"You expect me to trust you?"

"Yes, trust me," Louis assured him with a smile, "take a leap of faith, even I am taking one."

Harry's lips twitched into a smile endeared by the Beta.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's real short but I thought an update is an update nevertheless.


	8. Spellbound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CHAPTER TAGS : SEX**

The fabric gently fell upon Louis' arms. It slid into him in the manner they way the clouds did with the sun, naturally and without any hindrance. The icy blue net which layered above his sleeveless white silk robes almost looked like that the white silk was transitioning into the blue ice. Sequins tendering their way through the fabrics in whorls of intricate handiwork. The threads which moved around caught the stones over the net as they trailed down the clothing. 

Pulling his hair back into a half-crown, the hair clips which pinned his hair were made of bright diamonds brought in a velvet box alongside his other accessories. In the box was a clear note which in legible handwriting. 

'From Your Highness, Alpha Emperor Harry Styles'

Standing before the mirror, Louis was quietly observing his reflection which was staring back at the quaint beauty he was the embodiment of. His clothes and the number of people assisting him to assure he looked nothing short of perfection was appalling. Niall was with him constantly, supervising every small detail about his day. 

"Can I get a moment to myself?" He had asked Niall who looked at him in apprehension at the request. "Just a few minutes."

Reluctantly, Niall consented to leave the Beta alone. "Five minutes, maximum, then we're leaving downstairs."

And he had received those five minutes of peace, to arrange his thoughts in an orderly manner. 

Looking at his robes, he let out a bitter laugh, "Not in the favour of the robes, my ass." 

For a moment, he wished he would've just told Harry that he was an Omega the night before instead of asking a change of _robes_.

How his life turned from being on a vendetta against Mairah Draught to marrying her husband, he did not know. His vendetta against her was a legacy he took up with nobody's consultation and now he was going to be tied to the Alpha who was with her and was _his Alpha_ , he could waver on it. Until his Omega instincts were in complete control, he wouldn't even know that if Harry was his real Alpha.

In an attempt to look back into the mirror caused an emotional upsurge in him. His eyes were unable to meet their reflection without flashes of memories returning from the life which had abandoned him. The part of him which he kept to himself, the part which he didn't want anybody to know about especially the man he was marrying. Louis had locked those memories in a box and had tossed the keys into the ocean to never open the box again but unfortunately, at that moment he couldn't help but let the tears in his eyes fall in reminiscence. 

The memories of his parents and their death were plaguing him. The fall of his entire life was running it's course before his eyes like a film. The laughter, the happiness, the pain which surrounded him forced the advent of tears down his cheeks rapidly. His father wasn't going to walk him down the aisle, his mother wasn't going to assure he looked good nor where his siblings going to threaten the Alpha to keep him happy and the affliction of the whole scenario showcased how helpless he was. 

"Louis, are you done?" Niall waltzed in. 

Quickly he rubbed his cheeks off the unneeded tears and pulled the towel on the side of the mirror and dabbed the rest of it away to look more presentable. 

"Are you okay?" The Omega questioned.

"Perfect." The beta responded, sniffing and turned towards Niall, "Let us leave."

"You sure you don't want water or something?" 

"Nothing." He replied back in affirmation. 

Niall's blues looked into Louis' own, holding his hand, "Are you sure, Louis? Do you want me to get my brother?"

Louis smiled in sincerity at the Omega and nodded at him, "I swear I'm fine."

Unconvinced, Niall shook his head in adherence and let out, "Then let us leave, Your Highness."

* * * 

The sky was inked into the darkest blue and had trails of white moving across it. The stars did little to give light but the lanterns did a good job of providing illumination. The nuptials had concluded in harmony and the couple were heading to the banquet hall to continue with the reception.

Although, most of the ministers were sceptical of Harry's choice they preserved their comments upon the couple. The Alpha had his hand wrapped around Louis' while he guided him back to the hall and through the entirety of the journey back, he didn't let go of him.

When they did begin to lead the waltz, Harry's fingers were always firm when he held the man. Whether it was sliding him around the dance floor or lifting him, he did it with care but with a strong grip over the fragile man. And Louis noticed that. He noticed how they kept him close and never let him drift away from his grasp. 

"Am I not receiving my own rooms?" Louis questioned him, as he followed Harry into the chambers he had grown so familiar with.

"No, you demanded fidelity, I find it pointless to give you your own chambers." Harry said to him, moving further inside. 

Sighing, the Beta moved further ahead and held his wrist, manoeuvring him towards himself. Effectively capturing Harry's attention, he stared at him, "If you expect me to be truthful to you, you need to tell me the truth too."

Harry stared at Louis and exhaled a cold breath, "I don't trust you yet to give you your own chambers."

Louis peered at him and then let a smile spread on his face, "You mean your heart agrees but your mind doesn't."

"Yes."

"Glad, we're on the same page, Styles." 

Harry looked up at him in suspicion and smirked, "You're a Styles too."

"Hell no," Louis shot down and moved to remove the layer of net he had on himself to place it on the chair before the mirror. "I am very much just Louis Tomlinson."

Moving towards Louis, Harry twisted the man, sliding his hands around his waist and lifted him off the ground. "You're very far from being just Louis Tomlinson."

Laying him on the bed, Harry laid down beside him and placed a kiss on his exposed arms. "You looked beautiful today."

"It's you who changed the clothes so I should thank you for it." Louis told meaningfully. 

"They're my mother's."

"Was this what she wore on her wedding?"

"Yes." 

"Tell me about her."

"Too much of emotional baggage for a wedding night."

"Understandable."

"But what isn't understandable is why you cried after you threw everyone out." Harry followed up. 

Louis immediately broke eye contact when the question descended to his ears, "So Niall is a tattletale too?"

"He cares with his brain." Harry consented pulling Louis towards him. 

"I didn't want you to know." The beta snapped at him, gaze focussed away from the Alpha's face. 

"Louis," Harry recited his name and pivoted him in his direction, "tell me."

The overpowering dominance which dusted off the Alpha was coercing Louis into submission. This was the reason he tried to avoid Harry in every manner possible. The man was so resilient and enchanting that the Beta always gave in to him and his unreasonable demands. It was clear that by marrying him, he just subjected himself to get more entangled in the web of the Alpha. 

"I dislike people who hide the truth and hate the ones who lie," Harry told him in blatant honesty.

"You can't receive thorough honesty from me." Louis said looking at him, "I can't afford that."

Harry wasn't pleased by the response and the stone expression gave it away. 

"They're called demons for a reason, Harry," Louis muttered, raising his fingers to detail his face. 

"And you'll open up about them eventually?" 

"Most of them except one."

"Let's see how far my patience will run its course." 

"May I be conceited?" Louis questioned but continued without his permission, "For me, it'll last longer."

Harry's face contorted into an amused smirk at the confidence displayed by the Beta.  
The response was provocation enough for the Beta to pull him down to lock their lips. In that moment Harry thoroughly indulged in the man who was underneath him, pulling the rest of the robes which remained under him. 

Harry picked Louis up and disentangled themselves from the kiss, his fingers quickly ran down to the clasps which held his robes and discarded them while throwing away his own. Picking him up like a doll, he assured that all of Louis' clothes were adorning the floor. Pleased with his agility, he disengaged himself to look at the naked skin which was gleaming in the moonlight. Louis had an ethereal glow to his skin and the sight of it made the Alpha salivate in hunger because of the thoughts which ran through his mind. On the account of these thoughts, his fingers ran down from his lips down to his chin, trailing down his chest to pause very briefly near his nipples so as to even touch them, cascading them through his abdomen to only gain gasps from the poor man's lips, as he held his gaze. 

Finally, he reached his pelvis and that's when Harry's pace grew lethargic, causing Louis to moan at the mobility. Steadily, he finally traced his thumb down his length instantly making Louis bite his lips down at the sensation. When he finally reached the tip, the Alpha swiped the precum off his cock and sucked on his thumb fastening Louis' breathing.

Lowering himself to the man's ear, Harry quickly licked the outer shell, "You really made a mistake, Louis."

Harry's fingers were very slowly rubbing his nipples, as the Emperor's tongues descended to his ear lobe, "Demanding fidelity is a huge mistake, you won't be able to walk for days at the rate I fuck you."

"You won't be able to sit or stand or lay down without thinking of me in your gaping hole," Harry bit hard on the lobe and pinched his nipple at the same time, obtaining a groan from Louis' throat.

It wasn't quick before Louis smirked up at Harry and invited him, "Let's see how much of that claim you'll be able to stand up to," he told him, brushing his lips gently around his jaw, "you liar."

"You just unleashed a demon," Harry threatened and continued to prove his claim right by attacking his neck to leave a litter of bruises. 

"I'd take you without any preparation for that accusation." Harry muttered before biting onto Louis' lower lip and delving into a hungrier kiss. It was more of an open mouth kiss which was intoxicated with dominance of the Alpha to gently tug Louis. With his tongue taming Louis, it didn't take him long to subjugate the man thoroughly. 

On dissociating from Harry, Louis grinned at him, "It's good I like it rough then."

Harry's eyes were simmering with lust and every statement which escaped Louis' lips brought him more over the edge. He genuinely wasn't aware that he could be stimulated this strongly by anybody nevermind the fact that he was hard. 

Reaching out to the oil kept on the nightstand, the Alpha was quick to wet his fingers with them and quicker to place them at his entrance, massaging it with his fingers while a grin was plastered on his smile which caused Louis to scowl in response of the pace at which it was moving. 

"I need you fingers, Alpha," Louis whined. 

"Do you?" Harry verified and bit his jaw.

"Please, please, Alpha," he begged, Louis' Omega tendencies were surfacing. At this point, he was willing to let them out in the form of desperation. "I need you, please, Harry."

"Now that's better," he smirked and inserted his fingers into his hole extracting divine moans from Louis' throat at the activity. Sliding his fingers through, Harry was assured that opening him was enough for him to place himself inside. 

"You know you're still tight?" He muttered removing his fingers as Louis groaned at the loss of contact. "And I'm going to push into you just like this." He muttered, stroking his cock against Louis' entrance.

"Your punishment for calling me a liar," he told Louis and rammed himself into the man. The suddenness of the entire situation warranted for a scream. 

Looking down at Louis who had his eyes stilled upon the Alpha with his breaths rolling into a series of successive moans. "Move, please. I need it."

Groaning at Louis' demands, Harry pushed through, panting as he did so. Lowering his mouth to Louis' neck, on the preface of instincts, Harry _bit_ him, sinking his canines deep into his skin to feel the elixir, he called blood. 

Moaning out at the immense pleasure driven into Louis, he temporarily forgot about all the facades he bore. The thrumming of pure euphoria running on his skin, as Harry moved inside him hitting his prostate again and again. The cherry on the top was ploughing through his skin and marking him, claiming him. If that wasn't exaltion, he didn't know what was.

* * *

The sex was good was an understatement.

Harry felt it was the best he had in years. Louis was so good and ravenous. 

Pulling away from his husband, he sat up against the headboard, instigating him to look at him. 

"Wine?" Harry questioned.

"Yes, please." He smiled back. 

It took Harry less than ten minutes to get them two goblets filled with wine.

Handing one of them to Louis, he pulled the man into his arms, "That was brilliant."

"Likewise, Alpha." 

Tracing his lips upon Louis' ears, as he adjusted himself in between Harry's legs. Leaning back onto the Emperor's shoulder. "I wanted to show you something."

Efficiently, Harry obtained a wooden box and handed it to Louis. 

Opening the box, he noticed a beautiful bracelet in its place. Tarnished white gold with blue sapphires wound into it alongside diamonds, the sturdy bracelet had an adjustable screw on top. 

"It's very pretty." Louis appreciated it.

"It's my mother's," Harry told him, "and now it's yours."

Louis turned to face the Alpha, uncertainty evident in his expression. "I possibly cannot-"

"It's yours." Harry told him affirmatively, "I've always held it too close, one amongst the few things that remind me of her and there was nobody in my life who ever motivated me to part with it except you. So keep it."

Louis was dumbstruck, Harry's sincerity pierced a hole in his heart for the lack of his. And he knew the weight of parting with something which reminded you of your family, he had parted with an entire province. It hurt. And entrusting somebody with this was pivotal. 

He needed to find his abandoned courage before anybody found his secrets.

* * *

Louis was on his way back to his room from practice alongside the other Betas from the army. He had turned up to training after almost a week and the awkwardness between the men and the consort of the King persisted effortlessly. Louis was aware that it was inevitable for his comrades to continue the same rapport they shared with him before his marriage. But he still wanted to maintain some normalcy amidst this life-changing situation and he knew that training was the only thing which could provide that.

Reus had been the same with him, in fact, he had mocked Louis with titles and then offered to drop him to his chambers in good faith. And that pleased the Beta to great extents.

"Anyway," Reus began wriggling his eyebrows, "how is the-"

"-don't say the word."

"-sex." 

Hiding his face behind the palm of his hands, Louis peeked from them to see the fellow Beta, "It's amazing."

"Expected that." Reus muttered and smirked at him.

"It's too good." 

"I want more details." Reus prodded with a grin, nudging him causing Louis to blush pink. "You'll not receive it you know that."

"It's cute to see you get flustered over him, you deserve to be happy." The blonde man smiled at him with his brown eyes squinting in joy. 

"Happiness is still a long shot, Reus." Louis muttered, as they continued walking. 

"Although, did you tell him about it?" 

Louis' attention diverted immediately and was quick to pick up on his friend's implication. "What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"You will eventually and when you do," Reus told him placing his hand on his shoulder in reassurance, "please be careful."

Louis quietly nodded his head and smiled at his friend, "I will."

Turning to Reus, he pulled him away and whispered, "But he did something yesterday, Reus."

"Go on."

"He bit me."

Reus' eyes widened at the implication and his gaze fell upon his neck, "That would make it an incomplete bond."

"I know." Louis sighed, moving closer to their quarters, "And it won't solidify until he does it again when I'm in a cycle."

Reus considered for a moment and advised, "Tell him or you'll make it worst, trust me."

Louis had a bitter aftertaste of what had been said. He knew he was going to tangle himself into a more complex situation. 

"I need to get going," Reus bid him when they arrived to the rooms, "but take care, Louis and please heed to my words."

Bidding his friend goodbye, Louis sauntered into his room and noticed the bed empty and Zayn standing in the middle of the place. 

"Good Morning," Louis addressed and walked up to his wardrobe. 

"You won't last long in his life, you know that?" Zayn commented casually. 

Louis' sigh was the only reply the Omega received, as the man continued to wipe his face with towel he retrieved from the wardrobe. 

"Harry does make impulsive decisions and sometimes he goes overboard with them." The black haired Omega continued to spew his words, "I am sure you're one amongst those decisions, it won't be long before he gets bored of you and tosses you aside."

"Didn't get bored of you, did he?" Louis shot back in equal vehemence, "or did he and you didn't let yourself be cast away?"

Zayn's gaze conveyed how much of poison he had in him against the consort but Louis didn't let him react, "Zayn, I am with him. If he does decide to toss me aside as you so eloquently term it, I know how to handle that. Neither do I need your comments nor do I desire your warnings."

"Now if you could let me get dressed for court, I'd be pleased." He smiled and moved back to his wardrobe to fetch clothes and placing them on the chair.


	9. Suave

There was a dinner held in the King's private chambers. Uncharacteristically. It was odd for a gathering of ministers to be summoned in privacy. Disregarding how pivotal the circumstances were, he'd never commit them to such closure and Louis of all people in spite of how much of a meagre length of time he spent with the Alpha, knew that he wouldn't do something of this nature which is why Louis' intrigue was surfacing.

Sitting right beside the Emperor's chair Louis waited for his husband to grace them with his presence. Funnily, he immediately arrived before he could entertain another thought. A chorus of greetings filled the room in immediate response to the occupancy. 

"Please sit." Harry permitted and took a seat himself after which the same suit was followed. 

With food being served, Harry began to descend into the crux of the situation, as to why was the summoning of these men necessary. 

"Why I did ask for all your presences is due to a very pivotal problem." Harry began with a slow pace, drawing their attention to him, "I want to discuss Omega rights."

The fork with which Louis was eating momentarily paused in friction to the plate but protracted to eat. 

"And in what terms are they allowed to receive more rights than they already have?" Nick put forth. 

Louis noticed Zayn and Niall gripping their spoons with their eyes firmly on their plates, "If I must remind you, Nicholas, that it was an Omega who killed more than half of the Emperor's predecessor's family and brought Riccardo to his knees."

"As far as I remember, I don't think any Alpha or Beta did anything, inclusive of you." Louis defended with reason before him, "If Omegas are mentored appropriately they can do great things, whether it's to slay a Royal family or," he said looking up into his whiskey brown eyes, "to cut your throat into pieces because you're mocking their honour."

Niall just chuckled in response to Louis' defence and turned to his brother with a smile, "Go ahead, Your Majesty."

"Since we've established that," Harry grinned and turned to the men to set down his thoughts. 

Harry continued to talk in detail about how Omegas could be incorporated into the army with absolute discretion. Additionally, intensifying the punishment if there was any violence against them and an immediate death sentence if taken advantage during a rut or a heat. He also sought to validate rejection of an Alpha by an Omega without any adverse consequences to the Omega.

There was a feeling of warmth blooming in Louis' chest at the thoughtfulness of the Alpha. It was evident that nobody in the entirety of the lineage which sat on the throne of Verloren had been this progressive. And with him being something more than a Beta, the impact of the concern magnified. 

With the array of absolute radical thoughts presented before the council of ministers, the silence prevalent was telling two things. Either the men were in absolute favour of the situation or regarded Harry as a fool. What the men thought would soon be evident when they'd spit out their bits of advice in sugared words.

Just as Nick was equipping to give out an opinion, "Nicholas before you say a word, think." Louis cut him off and additionally added, "And I know it's a huge task for you to use the propriety of reason but I'd suggest you to try, it's dangerous but a lovely endeavour to use logic."

A mysterious coughing fit began to infect the people who were seated around the table. The comment although caused a flurry of rage in the said Alpha who reddened at the insult. 

"How do you plan on executing these ideologies?" Dionysus questioned Harry. The man was an Alpha in his late forties and was probably the only person to be retained from his predecessor's rule but why he was withheld by Harry was something even Louis did not have any insight to. 

To the question, Harry had flawlessly answered and when further queried, he had given more well-planned reasons. 

"And when are you releasing these laws?" Liam questioned. 

"In two days time."

"All of them?" Liam asked. 

"Every single one." 

Hardly did Harry announce the affirmation when everyone looked at one another, discomfort dripping from their auras causing the Emperor to immediately retaliate in defence. "They've suffered enough, there isn't going to be a further delay in the issuing of their rights."

Everyone had realised that with Harry's decision hardened on his thoughts, nobody could pose an aversion to it. Regardless of how much anybody opposed it.

* * *

Whisps of sunlight lashed into the rooms with the few slits the curtains gave away. The royal chambers were devoid of any presence. With silken sheets entangled and a few of them even laid on the floor, it was clear of the activities of the night which had passed. The rooms were yet to be cleaned for an audience with anyone except for the ones who possessed them and the darkness which occupied the place inferred that.

Moving into the darkroom in his bathrobe, Harry had an additional lightweight towel rubbing away the droplets on his face. Turning to open the blue curtains, Harry before moving to the wardrobe ordered the guards to fetch the cleaners. 

After clothing himself, Harry made his way through the cleaners and perched onto the cushioned wooden stool before the mirror and reached out to the stand to retrieve the wooden comb when a string of 'Good Mornings' ran through the hallway. In less than a few seconds, Louis made his presence known. 

His face was bright red and moved with long strides which easily gave away that he was upset. Ignoring the Emperor, he made his way to his closet and grabbed a towel leaving to the washroom. 

Harry's eyebrows furrowed at the ignorance and quickly summoned his patience to wait for the Beta to return from his bath which he did when Zayn was braiding his hair. Without a greeting, the man proceeded to his closet, continuing to not regard the two. 

On returning from behind the screens, Harry carefully analysed the outfit Louis had put on. Pale pink robes which fell down his body like the water slipped out of a bowl of tampered with. The cotton silk was easy to litter down and leave an almost ethereal Beta in the middle of the room, as he put the towel aside, evidently unaware of the Emperor's eyes which raked through him every time he was present. 

Louis sauntered to the dresser and took a comb quickly to move away when Harry's hand caught his wrist. 

"Yes?"

"Zayn, leave us both please." Harry requested politely, causing the Omega to startle for a moment, "Breakfast?" 

"I need to talk to Louis, he is evidently displeased about something." He told Zayn meaningfully which initiated a grunt from him towards Harry and a cold glare towards the consort. 

"Of course." He snapped, assuring that the tone of his voice was laced with displeasure and stormed out of the chambers. 

"You upset him," Louis remarked.

Shrugging his comment, Harry pulled the man on his lap to which Louis regarded him with great scepticism. "Now tell me what has upset you to this great of an extent?"

Louis quietly glared at him, his lips pressed against one another in displeasure. His hands were folded and his eyebrows furrowed. The discontent was clear as a wine static on a white shirt on the man's face. 

"Go on, we have duties to tend to." Harry prodded him, "What happened?"

"Except for the fact that my husband is committing political suicide and I'm not able to shoot three fucking arrows at the same time?" He questioned him and then responded sarcastically, "Everything is perfectly fine."

"Political suicide," Harry mused with a smirk and placed a kiss on his neck, "tell me, Louis, how am I committing political suicide?"

"By establishing all the laws at the same time." He huffed and leaned away to expose his neck more to his lips which sucked on his flesh. 

"Why do you think it's a bad idea?" 

Louis moaned under Harry's ministrations, clearly deviating from his feelings of upset and struggled to spit out a few words. "You can't break the laws which have been followed from generations just because you and parts of your council are progressive doesn't mean your people are too."

Harry suddenly halted his actions and turned to Louis, "But they've suffered enough." 

"Yes they have but not everyone thinks that way." Louis addressed with his face of severity coming back out in the open. "You could start a political riot because of establishing all the laws immediately."

"You think so."

"I know so."

"Alongside that, Haz," Louis began and kissed his cheeks, "you've just been crowned, you've not shown them any loyalty by doing something which will actually lax their grievances."

"And no, Omega rights aren't one amongst the lax grievances, I'm talking about." He dissuaded him. "A legacy isn't established, it's made, an Empire isn't bought it's built."

"It'll take time, Harry," Louis told him. 

Harry regarded his words with thought, it was clear that Louis wasn't just throwing sentences to make him second guess his own plans. He was making valid points which for a very unknown reason hadn't passed through the Alpha's head.

"And what happened during training?" Harry diverted. 

"Let's not talk about that." Louis muttered quietly and attempted on changing the course of the conversation by placing his lips on top of Harry's. The gesture wasn't welcomed by the Alpha, he retaliated in pulling away and summoning a quiet glare which made the Beta sigh in reluctance. 

"I can't shoot three arrows at the same time without fucking up." 

"Manageable." Harry admitted, "Next?"

Looking at the Alpha with his eyebrows furrowed, Louis feigned an expression of unknowing. "What do you mean?"

"I told you that I don't like people who hide things from me."

"I'm not-" Louis' eyes met the feral greens and he knew he couldn't keep up with the pretence anymore. "I don't want to trouble you."

"You're already a headache if you maximise the pain nothing is going to change."

Louis pouted at the response.

"Tell me."

"It's not important, trust me." Louis assured him. "If it gets out of hand, I'll tell you."

"I can already see myself regretting trusting this decision of yours," Harry muttered in all honesty but let Louis' recommendation stand. "But in regards to your training, I think you should start learning how to play the piano."

"The piano?!" Louis questioned incredulously.

"Yes, the piano," Harry repeated with more conviction. "I'll put up an instructor for you."

"Harry, I highly doubt that's gonna help me perfect my skills."

"I am taking a leap of faith by trusting your decision on the rights." Harry told with the glimpse of smile surfacing on his lips, "Take one for me."

Louis looked at him, as he started in the tranquillity which surrounded the chaos two of them bore in their veins. His gaze was stiffened, as he quietly moved a few steps forward. "Let's see."

* * *

Louis had just exited the training grounds. The sun was still deciding to rest behind the clouds or to show up vibrantly on its throne. The indecisiveness of it gave the soldiers additional time to continue their vigorous training.

Moving out of the grounds, Louis' mind was focused on how he was going to accomplish his task of shooting three arrows simultaneously into the bull's eye which he felt he was nowhere close to achieving. With a sigh of exasperation, he let himself out on the hallways in deep thought. Meandering through the hallway lost in his mind palace, he collided with an overpowering scent of an Alpha.

Levelling his gaze, he noticed the Alpha who stood in his path. Nicholas. The wisps of his hair were swaying through the wind while the loosely tied cotton shirt was half unbuttoned, sweat coursing down his chest. 

"Look who we have here," the voice rang to his ears, effectively pausing his advent up the palace, "the Consort of the King."

"Or should I say the opportunist whore of the king?" 

Louis stopped for a minute to look into Nick's eyes and continued walking, thoroughly ignoring the comment. 

Distinctly, Nick did not let go of the man in peace and intervened his path, putting a stop to the way he intended to move. "Come on, Louis. Everyone knows that you were a whore for him before getting married."

Halting before Nick, he turned to look at him with an unimpressed glare, "What do you want, Nick?"

"Why don't you tell me that, Louis?!" He shot at him, pushing his shoulder causing the Beta to stagger in his stupor.

"Tell me, how the fuck did you slip into his bed, Louis?!" Nick pushed him to the wall.

"Careful, Nick," Louis smirked, "I might begin to think you have a soft spot for the King."

"Why you bitch!" Nick glowered and grasped his collar and pinned him to the wall, "I know the likes of you, Louis, behaving like you-"

"-I'm sorry!" Louis exclaimed. "I won't do it again!"

The violent reaction caught Nick off guard. His eyes squinting while his grip loosened at Louis' dramatics. 

"What is going on here?!" A voice resonated which abruptly caused Nick to retract his hand. 

"Your Majesty," he addressed, placing some distance between himself and Louis.

"What was happening here?!" Harry's eyes cautiously examined both of them with scrutiny. 

"It's not his fault, Harry." Louis defended the Alpha. 

Promptly ignoring the man, Harry's gaze was undisturbed by the Beta's whining and he kept constant on Louis. "Answer, Nick."

"I was talking to him, Your Highness."

"By pinning him up to the wall?"

Silence filled into the corridor without permission and Nick's gaze threw away stability. 

"What was happening, Louis?" Harry interrogated. 

"We just had a disagreement." 

Thoroughly disapproving the answer, Harry immediately announced a statement, "Nick, you're suspended from courtly duties."

Surprisingly there wasn't a violent reaction from the Alpha's side at the enunciation. He had his head bowed and lips forced against one another to keep the violence of his words confined. Regardless of how thoughtless the Alpha was, Nick knew when to back down and when to pick his battles, "Until when, Your Highness?"

"Until you nail it in your mind that to touch Louis in the manner you did would've assuredly brought a death sentence if you weren't in my favour." 

With that, he gestured a dismissal of the people present around and held Louis' hand to lead him away from the crowd.

* * * 

"What was he doing with you?" Harry demanded as soon as they reached their private quarters.

"Nothing I couldn't handle, honestly."

"I noticed how effectively you handled it." 

"Just let it be, it's not the first time it has happened." Louis shrugged and strolled to the wardrobe.

It wasn't soon before Harry lurched forward, yanking Louis towards him. His brows in arches which were thoroughly unappreciative of the situation at hand and hinting their disapproval at Louis' nonchalance. 

"What hasn't happened the first time?" 

Louis was quiet, staring into those eyes which didn't demand but commanded him to tell them nothing but authenticity and Louis was damned since he wanted to do exactly that. 

"This." Louis muttered with a sigh and moved away. "Harry, you married a commoner. A Beta commander in training, did you really expect us to be so readily accepted?"

"They think I slept my way into your good graces." Louis continued, "And because of that they think they have a leeway to do whatever they want with me."

"Now tell me," The Beta looked at the Emperor, "what're you going to do about it?"

"More like what can you even do about it?" Louis reiterated, his tone sceptical of the entire situation as he stormed into the bathroom.


	10. Sought

The melody which seeped through Harry's own chambers was faint. It had a gentle rhythm to it but in no manner was it sweet enough to please his hearing auditory senses. 

Since their last encounter, they had been slightly distant with one another. Louis' outburst and Harry's unawareness had concocted them into an uncomfortable position which eventually did redeem itself when Louis beckoned to him for his archery practice and Harry provided him with an appropriate solution. 

It was clear that Louis had up with his piano lessons. Although the instructors had insisted that he had talent and was picking up quickly but it was evident like every newbie he was having his troubles. The broken melodies were a testimony to it.

Stepping into his rooms, he quietly made his way to the wardrobe for a change of clothes while the melody continued rummaging in force with incorrect notes. After changing into more plainer clothes, Harry made his way to the bench on which Louis was seated and assaulting the piano keys. 

"May I?" Harry asked, looking at his tiny husband. 

"Go ahead, I'm pathetic at it anyway." 

Gliding his fingers, he feathered the music like kindness. It was as natural to him as dancing was to Louis. Note after note filtered through the air in the form of pure delight. The thorough sweetness and gentle nature of the music struck to anybody who listened to it. It was as if honey itself was laced to the notes produced.

On the conclusion of it all, Louis quietly looked at him with admiration in his eyes, "That was beautiful." 

"Thank you." Harry told him with a smile.

"I am really bad at it." 

Curling his arm around his husband, Harry's fingers glided on top of Louis' and gently played the tune which was written before him. 

When the abrupt stop arrived, Louis turned towards him with a pout, "Why can't you teach me?"

"Because I'm King and I am certain that we have duties except for piano lessons." He retorted with a wink.

"Okay." Louis answered reluctantly and turned the page before him. Looking at his husband, he pointed, "How do we play that?"

Squinting in analysis of the paper be played the part and guided Louis to play his. 

"You're really good at reading this."

"At least there's something I can read." Harry muttered under his breath and regained his poise with a more forceful voice, "You'll learn."

"Wait, what do you mean by that's something you can read?" Louis questioned. "What is it you can't read?"

"Nevermind," Harry muttered, "practice."

Louis stayed still for a moment and then to Harry's relief returned to the piano.

* * *

Sheets had been dishevelled and clothes had spread all over the floor. The smell of sex had drizzled all over the chambers of the Emperor. The translucent curtains spread around their bed concealing them from the world, as their lovemaking had paused.

"Get some wine from the cabinet." Harry suggested to Louis who nodded his head and moved up from the bed, stark naked. Pushing the curtains aside, he sauntered to the cabinet to get the wine and the goblets. 

On returning to the bed, as he began to pour the wine when Harry paused him and requested for water which was on the table further away. Letting out a grunt, the Beta promptly went to fetch the water.

On returning, Harry's words flew, "Louis could you-"

"-you just want to ogle at my arse." Louis accused him with his hand on his waist. 

Harry looked taken back at the accurately appropriate assumption and lets a grin take form on his lips. "I hate to see you leave but love watching you go."

Louis turned away from him and poured a goblet of wine, letting a smile drip onto his lips before pulling the stoicism back. Handing him the glass, Louis slid back under the sheets.

"You love the admiration I have for your arse." Harry told him, kissing his neck. 

"I revel in it." Louis smirked and sipped on his wine. 

"Of course, you do." Harry smirked and pulled him back upon his lap, allowing the brunet to straddle him.

"May I ask you something?" He questioned him, running his fingers through the Alpha's mane. 

"Go ahead."

"Why did you say that?" Louis asked.

"The piano thing?" Harry guessed appropriately, causing Louis to nod. 

Sighing, the Alpha shook his head and looked into Louis' quiet blue eyes which were gleaming with curiosity. "You know sometimes, mothers die at childbirth, right?"

Nodding his head to the statement in response of agreeing, Harry went on, "And to fill the dash of the mum, sometimes the dad marries someone else."

"Yeah."

"And that someone else clearly cares for her child more than the leftovers of her husband?" 

The dread in Louis' eyes was increasing steadily, as Harry's voice grew deeper. "And sometimes the leftovers aren't given any privileges as compared to the own kids?"

"The privileges I had to compromise on was literacy. I didn't get to read and write." Harry confessed quietly. "I tried my best to make sure Niall, however, was educated and versed in the necessities."

The fact that this revelation felt like someone just plunged him into cold water did not help. For a man who is as prideful as Harry to accept a flaw which is visible to the entire world shook him. 

"Who know of this?"

"The ones who do know, keep their mouth shut about it, they care for their precious lives."

Taking the goblet away Harry's fingers, Louis began to slowly grind his hips against the Alpha's and called out to the guards stationed at their doors. 

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Inform everyone that tomorrow court will resume after lunch." 

"Of course, Your Highness." The guard promptly adhered.

"You're dismissed, you may return to your post."

Harry turned to face Louis with his eyebrows raised in skepticism, "And may I know why is court resuming after lunch?"

"Because you'll be exhausted after making love until dawn." Louis responded and gently began to kiss his neck to which the Alpha smirked as a response and pinned him to the bed for another night of sex.

* * "

The sun had yet to set through the skies to bring about the golden afterglow. The guards had begun to prepare to light the array of lamps which lined around the palace grounds. As the light dimmed from the sky, Louis' archery practice continued, arrow after arrow over the target boards. 

_"The more you practice the piano with more ease, your fingers grow flexible and it aids in archery practice," Harry explained running his fingers over, Louis' own as they glided through the keys of the piano._

_"If I don't get this move right, I'll play the tunes which annoy you the most." Louis promised him with a grim smile on his face._

Remembering Harry's advice as he had taught him to play the piano, he removed three arrows and placed them appropriately to launch them. Taking a deep breath, he shot the arrows only to land perfectly at the target. Opening his eyes to peek at the result and noticed the perfection he delivered. Unconvinced at the stroke, he immediately drew three more arrows to verify, it wasn't just a moment of luck. 

The more he practiced, the more he believed in what he was seeing. 

Eventually, Reus intervened with the intention to take him to the forge which he quickly adhered to with ideas planted in his head to please his husband.

* * *

When Harry returned to his quarters to change his clothes before joining his friends for a meal in Niall's room, he noticed that the entire room had already been lit up or more accurately was in the process of being lit up. By his husband. 

"What's going on here?" Harry questioned, assessing the environment of the room and casually strolled towards the wardrobe.

"Nothing actually, I was preparing for dinner."

"Is someone dining with you?" Harry asked removing a more comfortable pair of clothes.

Louis stayed still for a moment before honestly replying, "I was actually hoping you would." 

Louis was well aware of the fact that the Emperor dined with his friends in the evening and never really broke the norm. Asking this from him came with a wave of hesitance. 

Harry paused his actions and looked at Louis meaningfully before shrugging his shoulders, "Sure, why not?"

"You will?" He chirped. 

"If you've requested it, I might as well do it." 

"All right!" Louis agreed and moved to the dining area. 

As soon as the Alpha moved to the dining area the one thing he noticed was Louis had put in additional effort to the food which was displayed. 

"Do we have any specific reasons for this sort of pampering, my dear?"

Louis smiled vibrantly, as he served the Alpha food, "I shot the arrows appropriately."

"Did you now?" Harry mused, holding Louis' hand and guiding him to his lap. "So my piano training worked?" 

"Yes." Louis answered and kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The Alpha kissed his cheek back and gestured for Louis to feed him. 

Taking a bite off the spoon, Harry assessed the taste for a moment before devouring thoroughly into it. "The food is really delicious."

Louis' smile was blinding, as Harry's compliment generated a faint blush over his cheeks too. "I cooked."

"You're a brilliant cook!" Harry complimented and continued eating. "This is really good."

"Thank you, Alpha." 

"I must tell you-"

"-Harry?" Niall's voice made its way, as footsteps moved closer. If Niall had to tell the Emperor something it certainly didn't seem like it. No sooner did he notice the intrusion of intimacy, he took a step back. 

"Forgive me, Your Majesty." He apologized. "I assume you're not going to join us."

"Yes, Niall." Harry answered. "I'd prefer not being disturbed." 

"Of course, Alpha." Niall acknowledged and moved away. 

After Niall exited, Harry's ministrations returned to Louis, "Now tell me what other tricks are up your sleeve?"

"Tricks?"

"Yes, tricks," Harry repeated, "you're a proficient dancer, a perfect cook, a brilliant swordsman, next you'll tell me you are a prince of lands faraway." 

Louis began a coughing fit over the water he had just ingested, "Don't be ridiculous, Your Highness."

"Tell me Louis, where are you from?"

"Westria. The province." He replied with ease and took a bite of the food, "City in specific would be Anthos before that I lived close to Exaltion."

"Exaltion used to be a very prosperous city from what I've heard, until," 

"-until it was burnt." Louis informed quietly, "The entire city was burnt, nothing remains there except for ashes and bricks."

"Where you there when it happened?"

"No." Louis' reply was short and clipped. "I stayed there for a very brief amount of time."

"Nobody survived that fire, did they?"

"Nobody." Louis affirmed. 

"Upsetting." Harry muttered. "Where'd you learn how to cook?"

"Sythe. It's well known for its herbs therefore cooks." Louis smiled and served some more on their plate. "I learnt how to fence there too."

"And dancing?"

"Various places." Louis mentioned quietly as he held up the fork to his mouth. "I picked up a little everywhere I went."

"What about you, Your Majesty," Louis questioned with a grin, "I let you trespass my qualities, may I lurk over yours?"

"Serve me desert and I'll tell you what you want to know." He said raising an eyebrow in an inviting manner. 

Smiling at his response, Louis moved away from his lap and ordered to clear the tables and bring in the desert.

Handing him the bowl which was filled with a pale liquid, he stared at Louis in question. "Eat it, it's made out of Semolina. It tastes hopefully good according to your tastebuds."

Taking a bite of the semi solid paste, Harry carefully assessed the taste before mewling over it, "This tastes wonderful."

Louis' smile was answering to all his other questions.

* * *

Harry and Louis were fighting.

The guards knew it. The people walking in the hallway knew it. The birds knew it. Hell, even the clouds knew it. 

They had been at it since the morning and were viciously clawing one another since mid noon. The announcement granting permissibility for Omegas to get into the army was the law the Alpha desired to pass. 

Louis had repeatedly warned him to not pass that one specific law. The Beta mentioned that you do not drop a thunder cloud upon the people you rule in such a negligent manner. Instead, what the Alpha could do was build more heat homes and make firm the laws which govern abuse of the gender. But Yours Truly was stuck and had desperately wanted to create an impact and in the middle of his reign. 

"Get out." Louis yelled at him. 

Harry paused and stared at him, astonished at the tone, "What do you mean?"

"Get out and stay out until your common sense has made a return." Louis announced. "Until then take any of the other fifty six rooms which exist in this palace and use them."

"You're throwing me out of my own rooms?!" Harry questioned, incredulously. 

"If you ever want to keep them and the crown on your head, you will listen to me!" Louis scowled moving into the bathroom.

When Harry stepped out of his quarters, Liam, Zayn and Niall were waiting outside with well schooled expressions on their faces.

"He does have a point you know." Zayn commented quietly. 

The glare would have incinerated Zayn if it had the power to do so but for Zayn's good fortune and the Alpha's misfortune, it didn't. 

"We're going hunting," he declared to his right hand, gather the men. "That's the only way I'm not going to strangle Louis."

"Strangulation helps stretch your arms." Zayn added. 

"You want me to stretch your neck?" Harry snapped back in repartee. 

Niall grinned at Harry's immediate response and winked at Zayn and kissed the Alpha's cheek. "I'll get the hunting squad ready, brother."

"Niall's right." Liam added upon the conversation. "I'll call in the rest of the inner circle who would be interested to join us."

"And Niall, let Zayn make arrangements," Harry ordered and pointed at Niall, "you fetch my hunting equipment from my room because I have been forcibly restrained."

Niall nodded his head in a slow deliberate manner in an attempt to control his laughter and moved away from his brother.

* * *

When Louis woke up the following day, he felt Harry's absence like a disease. It was nauseating. The bed, completely empty, devoid of the Alpha warmth was tugging his heart. That was the obscure thing about human beings, attachment takes quicker than detachment. The fact that Harry's leg wasn't wrapped around his waist tortured the sense of semblance he possessed when his Alpha was with him outweighed the years of loneliness he was generally used to.

Wiping his tears away, he dragged himself out of bed and washed his face and just draped a shawl over the same robes. With that, he trudged out of his chambers and made a beeline to the kitchens. 

The cold had just begun to lift up, as the dew was still cascading down the trees, mist clearing away. Moving through, Louis quickened his pace and moved around the corner to descend down the staircase. 

As he stepped down to the elaborate space of the kitchens, the chief chef was just beginning to make preparations for breakfast. 

"Your Highness." The man moved in towards him, as the preparations came to a halt. 

Louis knew the man. He was chief chef of the entire palace which meant he knew the ones who frequented to the kitchens and when Louis was still a commander. He obviously wasn't aware of everyone but paid attention to know which shifts were covered in the mornings. 

"I wanted to know if you have any cook employed who belongs to Anthos or briefly stayed in Exaltion." 

The chief gave it a thought and turned to the woman on his side, "Fetch Mead."

When the bushy haired man arrived before him, Louis began his questionnaire. "Anthos?" 

"After Exaltion and then we moved to Anthos and eventually travelled here with merchants." He revealed quietly. 

"Then do you know how to prepare creme bruleé?" 

Furrowing his eyebrows in confusion the man shook his head nevertheless. "I do, Your Highness."

"But that's a sacred dish, Your Majesty, we cook it only on-"

"-specific occassions." Louis cut him off. "I know."

Glaring at him, he continued, "Prepare that and prepare a meal for a five hundred people by noon."

The man looked at the chef and nodded his head, "All right, Your Highness."

Acknowledging them with a nod, he silently moved away towards the entrance when the same chef's voice called out. 

"Your Majesty," the chef called out, initiating a stop to Louis' locomotion, "Happy Birthday, Your Highness."

Louis' eyes briefly collided with the man's before allowing a brief smile on his face. "Thank you."

As soon as he moved out of the kitchens and meandered back to his rooms, he ordered the guards to rise him at half past ten, attempting to sleep. Hoping it would come.

* * *

When nightfall came, Louis stayed put in his bed with a tub of sweets right before him. 

After distributing the food amongst the needy, he skipped lunch and continued to sulk in his rooms. Nobody bothered to intervene on his vow of silence and when he was intervened, it was by the guards who told them Niall and Zayn were asking for an audience with him.

When they entered the room, Louis still remained on the bed.

"Wow, you look fantastically sick." Zayn muttered, landing himself beside the consort.

Picking up a scone from the plate on Louis' lap, Niall shook his head, "For a person whose birthday is today, you're really looking pathetic."

"Thank you for the warm wishes," Louis' voice clipped, a glare accompanied, "since you've accomplished your agenda of upsetting me, you can leave."

"Good Lord!" Zayn sighed and leaned back on the pillow, "Calm down, Louis."

"You're upset, I get it," Zayn responded, "and if I was in your place, I would've had cut off Liam's balls."

"Don't give him ideas." Niall chuckled laying down beside Louis on the other side.

"I don't need ideas to guilt trip Yours Truly." Louis snorted but then turned towards Zayn, "On second thoughts, I'll take up your idea."

Zayn chuckled and bit onto the marshmallow in his hand. 

"Pass the bowl on the night stand." Louis directed to Niall who readily followed his instructions. 

"Is that the sweet you asked for in the morning?" Zayn questioned, peering at it carefully.

Nodding, after eating a spoon, he handed the bowl to Niall who prodded at the dessert before taking a bite but moaned in pleasure as soon as he did. 

"Where was this gem hidden?" Niall questioned taking a second bite. 

Curious at Niall's declaration, Zayn took a bite himself, "This is delicious."

"It's native to Westria." Louis mumbled and took a part himself. 

"It's divine." Niall muttered and looked at Louis. "Anyway, get dressed, we're going out to town."

"Town?"

"Yes, Dumbass," Zayn wiped the bowl clean, "just because your Alpha is an idiot doesn't mean you have to ruin the one day which is exclusive for you."

"And you both are going to help me achieve this?" Louis questioned, skepticism sliding down his voice. 

"Regardless of how heartless you assume we are," Zayn began, "we ain't."

Still unconvinced at the declaration, he moved away from them to go get dressed behind the screens. 

When he returned after changing, Niall and Zayn seemed eerily quiet causing the Beta's suspicions to rise indefinitely. Looking around, he took note of a guard who stood inside their quarters.

"Your Highness," the man began, "I have news from the Emperor."


	11. Seize

It was the second time Louis had been annoyed with the news a messenger brought. 

The first was a courtesy from his husband who mentioned that he was going to extend his hunting expedition. The next one was immediately the following morning.

He had been roused from sleep before the sun had awoken and informed that a messenger from the Everwater-Symphony borders. 

"Can this really not wait?" Louis grumbled, dragging his discarded coat to place it around his arms. 

"You'll be glad," Reus told him as he led the way. 

Halting before the messenger, Louis was quiet until the man handed him a letter. 

Scanning the letter, Louis' face went through a myriad of expressions. Clenching his jaw, he turned to Reus. 

"Drag Zayn out of bed right now." He ordered and then pivoted himself to the other guard near him, "Fetch the messenger who arrived yesternight bringing news from the Emperor."

Bowing his head in adherence the guard left and Louis dismissed the messenger and retracted to his rooms.

When Zayn stepped into his quarters, his voice resonated through the morning silences. 

"Louis, you better have a fucking valid reason to waking me the fuck up." Zayn snarled at him, interjecting his letter writing. 

Rolling the parchment paper, he handed it to the messenger who stood before him and told, "Make sure Harry receives it as soon as possible." 

"Of course, Your Majesty." The man said and moved away to complete his task.

Darting himself towards Zayn, Louis took a deep breath, "Keith Pearson has challenged us to war."

* * *

Harry was having a plunging headache, as his hunting party arrived to the palace. 

The dark clouds which looked over the architecture of his home were threatening to rain down at the slightest provocation. The breeze which wisped past them informed them of this affair. 

Trudging closer to the place, his fingers rose to his temples to massage the pain away. On his doubt, it wasn't going to leave until he actually had a good enough sleep. The good part of sleeping had been devoid after he left for the hunt. In plain terms, he missed Louis. Not that he was going to admit to that statement vocally. 

The Alpha knew he was at fault on this. When his spurt of rage calmed down, he realised that Louis was right and since he confronted with that fact, Harry had no idea how to proceed after that. So he did what he did best, ignore it. 

Eventually Louis' letter reached him. Keith wanted a war and Louis wanted him to come home. 

_All of you. Just come home. We need you._

That sentence pierced through Liam's Alpha heart and if he had to admit it with honesty it shot through his too.

Running back to Verloren wasn't a choice, it was duty and when an Alpha was subjected to it. It became inevitable to ignore the responsibility. 

On reaching the steps of the palace, Niall stood near the entrance to welcome them. 

"What did Emmett tell you?" Harry questioned, disregarding any greeting whatsoever.

"They've resorted to burning down the places whose viceroys' are unwilling to subjugation." He informed, as Harry fastened his pace and moved through the hallway. 

"His stupidity to inform us this late is going to cost him." Harry grumbled and moved up his pace. 

"Obviously." Niall responded, dodging the helpers who were carrying clay made oil lamps on trays together and placing it down on the balconies and lining of windows. 

"Why are these lamps being lit up anyway? It's nowhere close to the Harvest or Solstice." Nick looked around.

"Louis ordered for it." Niall replied. "Regardless of the situation, an Alpha coming back home should be treated as a joyous occasion. _'They provide for us after all'_."

Liam's face melted into appreciation of the thought, his expression warm with happiness while Harry had a glimpse of a smile on his face. 

"Also, our brother arrived yesterday at night." Niall dropped on him.

"Jaymes is here?!" Harry groaned.

"He has been leaching off Louis since he arrived." Niall informed. "Annoying the fuck out of him."

Harry's hand rubbed his temples in frustration and turned to Niall, "How much of an army is at the border?" 

"A huge one apparently." Niall replied, "Five thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry and two thousand archers."

"Fantastic." Harry muttered with sarcasm etched into his voice. 

"Louis sent Alpha Commander Harvey and five thousand infantry to the border." Niall added with a squeak.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed in surprise at the information, shaking his head, he continued climbing the stairs with caution. "The method of propagating his defiance is riveting." 

"I still think that's not a lot." Zayn surprised them in between, greeting them near the entrance of tthe hallway leading to thee Imperial chambers. "Considering, you-"

"-really? Imperial orders given out in my absence-

"-missed his birthday." Zayn dropped with a sigh. 

This halted the Alpha in his tracks, as he relayed his attention to Zayn, "I missed what?"

"Louis' birthday." Niall told him, "It was two days ago." 

Harry's face turned stone cold, as he continued the pursuit of his rooms to discuss the impending war. 

On entering the room, Harry's eyes shifted from the pieces of the war councils present near the table to the maps displayed onto the wooden table. Everyone stood up in respect for the King and greeted him on his arrival. The green pools paused upon Emmett before finally taking it's place in Louis' eyes. Louis' blue eyes. Exhausted from discussing war and bright red from what he suspected, crying. 

Smoothly sliding into the conversation, Harry's presence demanded to be felt and it most certainly was. The importance which cascaded upon him wasn't abrupt just inevitable. When he spoke it was with so much of allure that they had to pay attention to him.

With all the strategies wrapped up. Harry had declared that he would be the one leading the war and they would travel down to Symphony-Everwater borders. 

After the others had been dismissed, Harry's eyes landed upon the other end of the table where Louis was seated and glaring at him accusingly. 

"Food will be ready in a while, I think you should have a bath by the time it arrives." Louis suggested. "It might reduce the headache you have."

"I'll do that." Harry told him while Louis moved away from his chair and began to give orders for dinner and other preparations. 

After the bath, Louis informed him that food will be served wherever he would please and after mentioning that he desired to eat in his own room, he was quick to serve him food and sit beside him to assure he was well fed. 

The awkward silence present in between them was too evident to be ignored but Louis promptly went about it regardless. 

"I heard I missed your birthday." Harry initiated. 

"It wasn't that significant to be regretful that you missed it." Louis' voice poisoned through the atmosphere. 

He glared at Louis for his response and sighed, ignoring Louis' ignorance. 

"What does your heart desire, tell me, I'll get it done for you." He put forth. 

Louis' eyes turned towards Harry with a pained concoction spreading through them. "How could you actually ask me that after leaving me with no explanation whatsoever?"

"I was angry and so were you-"

"-so you fucking left to a fucking hunting expedition with your Alpha pals?"

"Louis-"

"-you missed my birthday." 

"Which I wasn't aware of."

"I needed you with me." Louis sighed, the disappointment in his eyes growing more apparent. 

"Louis, I'm the Alpha of the State, I wanted my subjects to move forward with equality-"

-and you aren't my Alpha?!" Louis' voice raised. "Aren't you supposed to be responsible for my happiness too?"

"Louis," he began, his hands tracing down his waist. 

"If you are my Alpha and my husband, please," Louis told him, "please start acting like it."


	12. Suction

Harry was plunged into a ruthlessly deep thought, as he moved through the corridors of the palace to clear his mind of all the events before him. The court wasn't what pressed his nerves, Harvey had sent out a message that a conclusion had been reached regarding the war. What however did ceaselessly worry him was the topic of his husband. 

Harry was in a state of turmoil in regards to Louis. He had been married to him and tied down the Beta to his bed but his frivolous character still brought ripples of confusion to the Alpha. 

Nobody in their right senses would've ever disregarded or reprimand Harry in the way Louis' did. And the fact that he actually got away with that sort of blatant disobedience surprised Harry intensely. There was more to Louis than what met the eye, that he was assured of but there was also uncertainty in those blue oceans. Harry could see that skepticism everytime he looked into Louis' eyes and never was there a change in his demeanor. 

The leap of faith the two of them took was clawing through their hearts and neither of them seemed to acknowledge the topic.

"Harry!" Liam called out, disrupting his thoughts. 

Turning in the direction of the voice, Liam was hurrying towards him with a pace which screamed something untoward had taken place. 

"Harry! It's Louis." 

If Liam's claims weren't satisfactory enough to grab the Emperor's attentions initially, the name of his spouse definitely did the job. 

"What happened to him?" He questioned, eyebrows furrowed in worry. 

"It's better if you come alongwith me and see it instead."

* * *

Walking in haste towards his own chambers, there was an unintended part of Harry which was worrying ceaselessly. Adding the fact that Liam wasn't willing to part with information of the situation was not easing him.  
Moving forward into the adorned room, he saw Louis draped in a bathrobe, perched on a chair before the mirror with guards around him.

The entire scene gave him anxiety.

Niall was knelt beside him, handing a glass of water while Zayn's face was masked with mild concern. 

Sauntering towards Louis, the Alpha placed his hand over his nape, "What's wrong, Louis?"

"Your brother harassed him." Niall filled up Harry on the events.

The Emperor did not react, his emotions were guarded while he made more clear sense of what had just occurred, "What do you mean harassed? What'd he do?" 

"He was forcing himself on Louis in the bathtub while he shouted for help," Zayn explained, "I heard him screaming when I was passing by and helped him through."

"It wasn't just Jaymes, he had Gabriel with him too," Niall added.

Kneeling down before Louis, Harry's fingers fumbled gently through Louis' hair, pulling it away from his face to glide his thumb over his chin to pivot his gaze towards the King. 

One look into Louis' eyes and the rage which was running through his veins burnt more brighter. He felt his anger simmering more violently the longer he kept the eye contact with Louis. 

The fact that's someone had the audacity to lay a hand on him was an impregnable thought but additively forcing the Beta to shed tears on this account was unacceptable. Nothing enraged him more than the wetness around Louis' eyes, his insides were shaking in vehemence. Nobody was allowed to hurt his Louis, regardless of how complex their relationship was, the thought that the Beta had to shed a tear called out for all his Alpha rage. 

"Liam, summon the court." Harry gave out the order with his hand placed on top of Louis', pressed for reassurance.

The response to his order was ominous silence until Zayn's voice intervened in between, "Harry, it's half past ten. I honestly-"

"Did I give you the order Zayn?" He quietly stared at him coldly which garnered a raise of eyebrow from Niall, "Then shut up."

Liam's eyes were noiselessly shifting between Niall and Harry, unsure of the order and of how quickly the entire situation was transforming. 

"I do not care if they're sleeping or half dead, the entirety of my council of ministers and the rest of the court is supposed to be there including my brother in the next hour." 

"Of course, Your Highness." Niall responded effortlessly and gestured Liam to move out while he followed alongside Zayn. 

"Get dressed, Louis." He whispered to him.

* * *

The courtroom's lights were a dull gold with no moonlight to govern the illumination of the place. The people were hastily filling into the room and the throne of the Emperor still remained devoid of the Alpha's presence. Whispers were gliding through the walls in the reasoning as to why such a brisk meeting was summoned but the whispers drowned when the Alpha walked through the halls.

The balconies which over looked the court were filled with the two Omegas and the Beta in wonder of what predicament was going to befall them. 

Sitting down on his throne, Harry gestured Liam to bring the offenders and the order although it had no vocalisation, was immediately followed. 

The chains rattled against the marble floor, as the guards began to fill up in consistence into the courtroom without delay. The rumbling of the metal had everyone's attention on it. Locked into those chains was Jaymes.

"Today we're here to pass judgement of the offence of attempted assault on the King's consort." Xephyl announced to the ministers who were summoned. A gasp travelled through the crowd in proclamation of the statement. 

"We move the judgement to our King and Lord of our lands, Emperor Harry Styles." Xephyl concluded turning towards the Alpha sitting on his throne.

"Please recite the crime committed by Jaymes." Harry ordered Xephyl who shook his head and continued to talk. 

"Attempted assault involved Lord Jaymes moving to the bathing quarters of the Emperor while they were in use by his consort." Xephyl stated more formally, continuing in the same monotone, he narrated, "He forced himself with thorough sexual innuendo and almost drowned the consort."

"The evaluation and decision on Lord Jaymes stands." He finished.

"Do you have anything to say in defense, Jaymes?" Harry questioned him. 

"Come on, Your Highness." Jaymes drawled, "It's hardly something you should be angered by."

Harry's expression was stoic, as he stood up from his seat to move towards the man in the shackles. 

While he sauntered to his brother, everyone present in the halls were carefully analysing every step the Alpha took. He wasn't a person of words, never had been, but the rage he was feeling was emanating although he stood a mile away. Harry's displeasure wasn't seen on his face, it was felt through the vibrations in the wind and for an Alpha to radiate that sort of power, the occurence should've been pivotal and personal. 

"Why do you think so?" Harry questioned circling him the way a predator circles a prey. 

"He isn't even Omega, Harry." Jaymes reasoned, "So what if you share him-"

The sentence barely escaped his lips when Harry's sword plunged through his neck in one swift move. Blood splattered in ripples over the marble floor and the Emperor's face. Withdrawing his sword with equal amount of agility, he fit it through his chest causing the Alpha before him to stagger back and collapse onto the floor.

Returning to the foot of the stairs which lead to the throne, Harry turned to address the court. "I don't want to sit on my throne when I give out this order because that would force me to be just and I don't intend to be just when it comes to Louis."

"I hope there isn't a next time because if I hear a word against Louis nevermind doing anything against him, I will assure that the said person's tongue is cut off." Harry declared, his green gaze running through the courtiers present. "Any word against my consort, the worst is going to befall the speaker, nobody tells a word against him, nobody talks to him without seeking his permission, nobody touches his without asking permissibility, nobody does any action involving him before permission is asked."

"Any sort of turbulence to these rules and you'll face the guillotine before you can ask for a hearing." Harry declared and focussed his gaze around the courtiers before him pausing at Grimshaw for a moment. "Absolutely nobody will be spared."

* * * 

Letting the water course gently upon his skin, Harry settled comfortably in the water which had been arranged for him in his quarters. The smell of the freshly boiled rosewater wasn't overbearing, it had a subtlety to it. Just the way he liked it. Pleasant to smell but never overpowers his raw scent.

As he attempted to calm his senses with the water, he hoped his thoughts would stop raging too. 

Weakly discarding the thoughts, he tried to manoeuvre control over his thoughts and focussed on his surroundings. Steadily growing annoyed with the fact that Louis was latching himself onto him without any commitment from his own side. 

Louis. His Louis. The thought of him shedding tears was unbearable which was why he did not think twice before proceeding through the entire situation. The only order striking through his brain was to kill the Alpha who humiliated his Louis and Harry had never been this worried about any situation, as much as he was to this. 

Louis was foreign to him and his family but something about him made the Alpha feel as though he was responsible for him in a much magnified manner. 

Splashing water over his face, Harry gently leaned back, throwing his head over the tub to stretch his neck when footsteps gently approached him. Opening his eyes to the unwanted intrusion, he saw Louis stripping down his clothes. Sliding gently out to let them pool onto the floor before making his way to Harry's space. 

"Why are you even here?" Harry questioned, his gaze like scalding hot tea.

"Need to be with my mate." He muttered sitting down next to him. 

"Now you need to be with me? Why?" The Emperor's voice mocked him, "Did I behave like your Alpha?"

Louis' eyes shone with a very brief sign of hurt which would've definitely melted onto his face if he wasn't so proficient at hiding it. 

"Forgive me." Louis put forth, his aquamarines looking genuinely upset. 

"Your anger was thoroughly uncalled for."

"I was hurt." Louis voiced out, his gaze held to the water. "I needed you."

"I understand that-"

"-no," Louis cut him off, "you don't understand, you're the first person who actually gives a fuck about me."

"I've been alone for ten years with no family or friends or even acquaintances whatsoever and when I get the little attention I do from you, I cherish it." Louis admitted. "I didn't want to feel alone again. I didn't desire any extravagant gifts, I just needed to not wake-up alone that day."

Pulling him closer, Harry yanked him onto his lap. This was instigation enough for Louis to straddle the man, placing his hands on the Alpha's shoulders but Harry yanked him closer to his shoulders.

"You won't wake up alone again. I promise that." He informed him and kissed the side of his head. Parting away from Louis, Harry's fingers reached his chin to pull it up. "Get this one thing embedded into your mind, Louis." he began and continued talking, "Just because I have a soft spot for you, it doesn't mean you are allowed to take advantage of it."

Louis nodded, guilt stricken, "I understand."

"I do not want to be what I was with my uncle to you." Harry clipped curtly, "Don't ever take up that tone with me."

Louis shook his head in assent once again and kissed his cheek, "Thank you for what you did today."

Digging his fingers into Louis' waist, he looked at him with a veil of scepticism. "What'd you expect me to do?"

"Not even bat an eyelash."

The response was adequate to annoy Harry into looking up at his husband, "What made you think that way?"

"You didn't do it for Mairah, I really thought you-"

"You're different from Mairah." The Emperor cut him off, guiding his hand to his lips and placing a gentle kiss behind Louis' hand. "You're more precious to me than her and the quicker you understand that the better it is for us."

"Show me." Louis demanded, his calm blues growing gradually violent, as he rolled his hips against the Alpha's. "Show me that I'm more precious to you than anybody else."

Harry's Alpha was preening at the insistence which Louis showed. The man was certainly not an Omega but he excited him more than any other gender did. He made Harry burn in agony, writhing for rutting against him. Louis' skin against his own sought out pain which could be satiated only by ramming his cock into the Beta. 

In one harsh move, Harry's hand pushed the Beta's lips towards his own. Crashing against them, Harry felt the need he had been suppressing since so very long. The court had been taxing and the sudden stress from the Northern frontiers coerced the two of them to sit through unprecedented meetings tirelessly and all they did was also for the sake of rest. Additionally placing the friction of the last conversation they had pushed the two into a state of upset. Now when Harry was presented an opportunity to fuck him through, he wasn't going to while it away. 

"You're mine, you know that?" Harry muttered, positioning him over his cock. "Everything about you is mine, thoroughly mine."

It didn't take him a moment before the Alpha brashly attacked his neck and bit deep into Louis' skin while letting his cock push through his hole with no undertone of tenderness whatsoever. 

Louis' moan broke through every sound which was in the vicinity. 

"Moan louder for me," he whispered into his ear, initiating Louis to gasp for air, as he continued riding the man with vigour. 

"Harry," Louis moaned his name loud, clenching onto his shoulders, throwing his head over them. "Too close."

As Harry continued gyrating his hips against Louis', he let his fingers move through Louis' hair and pull him to look into his eyes. 

"Mine." He exhaled, as he let the consort descend his lips, allowing him to take in the complete chaos which was Louis Tomlinson. The sudden sensual kiss in contrast to their pace was riveting. Louis tongue gently ran over Harry's, as the Alpha dug himself deeper into the consort, prodding him towards an orgasm. 

It wasn't too far when they climaxed together, moaning leisurely into one another. Easing into each other with passion and exhilaration while reaching ecstasy.

Pulling themselves away from the embrace, Louis fondly looked at the Alpha with a grin plastered over his face. 

"That was extremely intense," he smirked kissing his cheek. 

"Told you not to ask fidelity."

"I don't regret a minute of it."

"Not yet, you don't," Harry smirked, devilishly and picked him up from the water, as the consort's legs remain draped around his torso. 

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't remember anything but my name." Harry told him, biting his earlobe. 

"Ambitious." Louis mocked with a smirk.

"I'll show you what's ambitious," Harry muttered and tossed Louis on the bed.

That minute a sudden warmth passed through him. Harry widened his eyes, as he realised the reason of his intensity. His rut was arriving and the Alpha did not even realise it. 

"You have to leave." Harry withdrew before his consciousness did and draped robes around Louis and himself. 

"What do you mean, I have to leave?!" Louis questioned. 

"Guard!" The Emperor yelled, as the man scurried inside. "Ask Liam to come here immediately, I'm going into a rut."

"What will Liam even do?!" Louis questioned him, annoyed.

"He'll keep you the fuck away from me." Harry told meaningfully, looking into his eyes.


	13. Magnitude

When Harry's consciousness returned to him, he noticed the mess around him. The curtains had been drawn to keep the darkness from lurking out. However, the slits in between had been bold enough to permit streaks of sunlight into the room. The bedspread was laying halfway on the floor whereas the sheets in a very erratic manner draped him. 

Harry felt negligent for not keeping a track of his mating cycle. It was hardly responsible of him especially since Louis was around him when his rut began but Harry remembered sending Louis away. Giving him a very specific order to leave him alone and not to be anywhere in the vicinity.

Sighing in relief that for once, Louis followed his instructions and stayed away. Exactly at that specific moment, a gust of breath caressed his back and let an arm slide around his torso. Freezing at the familarity of the touch, he gulped.

"How are you feeling?" Louis' voice gentled through. 

Widening his eyes in realisation, he spun quickly to see his husband who laid underneath the cover of sheets. 

As soon as Louis felt the sudden shift, he opened an eye to see the Emperor looking at him and tugging urgently on the sheets to reveal his upper body which was bright red with marks and bruises. His neck showcased a litter of hickeys implying the Alpha's actions in loud evidence.

Gauging both his eyes open Louis pulled the sheets back over his shoulders and looked at the Emperor. His blue eyes slowly laced upon the Alpha while his hand moved up to caress his cheek. 

"Don't think so much." Louis manoeuvred him into an embrace and kissed the back of his ear, running his fingers through his mane, "You called me out minutes before your first wave. Liam had ordered to shut all the doors to prevent me from slithering in but I went to the terrace and climbed back here."

"You shouldn't have."

"Bullshit." Louis negated. "You needed me and I couldn't tolerate the fact you were supposed to go through this alone."

"I'm yours as much as you're mine, Harry." He said pulling away to look into his eyes, "And if you need me, I will do everything in my power to assure your happiness. Just like you'd do with mine."

Harry stayed still, the declaration could've been done on aa whim but it shook the foundation of the Alpha's soul. Nobody in his profound existence had anybody expressed that they'd gona mile for his happiness. Louis' cavalier approach stirred storms in the parts of his heart which he knew were barren. Stunned, he realised that only one method remained for him to respond and he huddled the man into an embrace.

"Now don't think too much and go have a bath, order something to eat and then wake me up." He directed him. "I'm way too sleepy and hungry."

Harry gave him a reluctant nod and kissed his forehead to continue his work. 

Harry promptly went away and completed his hygiene ritual. After sending Louis into the bath, he had ordered the helpers to clean the rooms and send a message to Liam to immediately update him about the negotiations which had been established. 

Before Harry had fallen into a rut, Harvey had informed Liam that he will bring about peace obligations from Keith's side, an update on those lines was pivotal.

Louis was sitting upright on the clean sheets, wiping away the water which clung to him. The sheets were scarcely covering his groin and his naked leg remained tossed sideways with his arse on complete display to the Emperor, as he stretched his muscles. With the sunlight cascading down on his skin from the windows open. It was as if gold was tenderly melting down his epidermis with a slow pace painting him in luminescence. 

Running his fingers into his hair he smirked and went forward to approach him. Lowering his fingers to trace his thighs. Harry was quick to hold him by the ankle and pull him the other way. 

"Harry!" Louis squealed. 

Smirking at the yelp, Harry knelt and placed Louis' ankle on his shoulder, kissing them. 

"Harry?" Louis' voice was more uncertain now. 

Trailing a series of kisses, Harry traversed up his legs. Every kiss was placed with delicate care, as he continued to lean to scatter more of them on his velvet-like skin. No sooner did he reach his thighs, Harry's pace slowed in lethargy. 

Groaning at the ministrations performed by the Alpha, he threw his head back in the impending actions which were going to occur. 

Harry adjusted his legs and nudged Louis' balls with his nose and growled in praise at what his nose discovered. He traced his balls with his nose growling and humming as he took in his scent. The action gained an immediate response from the consort who moaned the Alpha's name in retaliation albeit refused to request him to stop.

Harry let a smirk fall before letting the tip of his nose drag down towards the slit of his cock eliciting absolute vulgar noises. Heavy strong teeth nipped at Louis' cock as he pulled his head back to wrap lips around the head. Louis felt a fire rush through his body singing his nerves and igniting his cock to a new level of aroused. Harry was rewarded with a twitch from Louis' cock. 

What Harry did next brought out a scream from Louis' throat, he fastidiously swallowed the cock whole and deliberately moved across the length at a scathingly slow place. It didn't take long for Louis' patience to break and run his fingers into Harry's mane and push his cock down thoroughly down his throat. Harry willingly accepted everything given by the said consort and enthusiastically licked all over his cock, tantalisingly dragging his lips. 

As he continued the lathering of his tongue upon Louis' cock, the man clutches onto the sheets and climaxed with a loud moan. Allowing his load to empty into the Alpha's throat who willingly drank it down.

Falling onto the fresh sheets, Louis let out a sigh, "That was divine."

Smirking in satisfaction, Harry stood up and gave him a wink in riposte, "Get dressed, Louis."

After Louis dressed up, Harry's fingers gently moved to latch them on his waist. Lowering himself down to his ear, "Did you wear these clothes just to tease me again, my dear?"

The sleeveless robes were made out of soft cotton silk. Whorls of white moving down after tightening on the junction of his waist. The pause of the material was laced with threaded work and beads of the same virgin colour. They rolled down in him, washing him in white with beads all around it.

"Harry," he muttered shyly, as the Alpha continued nuzzling his neck and withdrawing himself to look into Louis' glazed aquamarines and held his chin, "Tell me what you desire?"

"For?" Louis questioned, the tip of his nose caressing the Emperor.

"Your birthday." 

"Your Highness, it's all right." His voice chided and kissed his cheek. 

"No, it isn't." Harry rejected and pulled him closer to his person. "Tell me, is there anything you desire?"

Louis was thinking. He could notice that in his eyes and suddenly they found something, an object of want and then the consort did the exact diverse thing, he shook his head. 

"Nothing whatsoever."

"Louis, remember what I told you on our wedding night?"

Louis' eyebrows furrowed and looked at him and an endearing smile graced his lips, "We should do this more often?"

Harry's chuckle was like chimes on the onset of a breeze, musical. 

"I guess it wasn't that." Louis joined in with the Emperor's chuckles. 

"I told you that I despised liars," Harry informed him with a hint of a smile but edging on seriousness aas of a whole.

"I feel I'd bring upon your rage." 

"Let's test that theory?" He began kissing his cheek and then placed another kiss on his exposed shoulder. 

"Your Highness." Liam's voice ran through from the boho screen. 

Sighing in amusement, Louis let out a response, "We'll be with you in a moment."

"Let's continue this conversation on a later opportunity?" He questioned, kissing his cheek. 

"Don't think I'll forget."

"Never implied that did I."

* * *

"So it's settled that Keith is willing to reimburse whatever damage was done and is formally issuing an apology too?" Harry stated clearly.

"That's what Harvey has mentioned, Your Majesty." 

"How did he even manage to make Keith agree for negotiations?" Louis questioned, sipping on his wine. 

"He just did." Zayn shrugged. 

"Harvey has his way with words, I'll be inclined to agree but Keith is shrewd." Louis informed them, "We must be wary of the borders regardless."

"I agree with Highness Louis on this one," Nick sided, "Keith is extremely cutthroat."

"Better safe than sorry," Liam added. 

"I'll ask Harvey to station the troops there and stay for a period of six months and collaborate to strengthen the defences at the border," Harry announced. 

"Great idea," Zayn approved. "I'll write up a letter as soon as possible."

Harry shook his head in approval, as he refilled his glass when Niall intervened. 

"When you were in a rut the jeweller stopped by," Niall informed him.

"What'd he drop?" Harry questioned.

Zayn cleared his throat and smiled flirtatiously, "Something very beautiful, who did you order it for?" 

"Not you, Zayn." Harry smiled back equally flirtatiously. 

Chuckling, Niall clapped his hands which brought in a tray draped in velvet and covered in silk.

"We'll resume court tomorrow," Harry told his inner circle. "Until Harvey's response returns to us, we'll focus on the taxes and city planning in the west."

"And Omega rights, Your Majesty?" Liam questioned. 

"That'll be discussed. Eventually." Harry assented and then turned to the rest of them. "All of you are dismissed."

Zayn and the others stayed put while the others filed out of the room.

"I said dismissed you know?" Harry leaned back with his glass of wine and leaned back. 

"Who is it for?" Niall questioned, gesturing towards the accessory hidden underneath it.

Raising from his seat, the consort let his gaze fall upon the Alpha at the head of the table, "Harry, May I leave to go meet Reus?" He questioned. "It's been a while since I met him."

"In a while? I want you here." Harry responded. 

Ignoring their conversation, Liam barged in between turning towards Louis, "Although, what you did was extremely negligent Louis." 

"Fuck yes, it was." Zayn agreed immediately and looked at the consort. "That was fucking dumb especially taking the risk you took."

"I wasn't going to listen to anyone especially since I demanded fidelity from him, you know that, right?" Louis questioned, pouring wine into his goblet. 

The three of them turned towards the pair of causing Harry to rub his temples and sigh in frustration. 

"You promised him fidelity?" Niall questioned in surprise, his eyes widened concealing no shock whatsoever.

"None of your business, honestly." The Emperor snapped and turned to Louis pushing the tray in his direction. "That's for you."

Louis' expression grew uncertain, as worry stumbled down his cheeks. Gently, pulling the silk away he saw a choker made of gold before him. An elaborately beautiful choker which on himself would fall until his shoulder. The netted design of the jewellery had crystals emblazoned all over leaving the neckpiece to look nothing short of grandeur. The gold etched could hardly be visible due to the fair crystals shrouding the entire necklace. 

"Are you sure this is for me?" He questioned, unassured of the gift presented. 

Casting a glare towards them, Harry told, "Leave now? I'll find the three of you." 

Shaking his head in disbelief, Zayn moved away with Liam and Niall in a tow. 

"Come on." Harry stood up holding the tray in his left hand and Louis hand in his right. 

Making Louis sit on the chair before the dressing table, he put the neckpiece around him and carefully latched them up appropriately. 

Helping Louis stand to see himself, he noticed the awkward silence which presented itself for a moment before Louis turned to look at the Alpha. 

"You look more beautiful than I envisioned," Harry told him. 

Louis' eyes flickered up at him with a deep breath, "Harry, I hope you aren't doing this because you're guilt-stricken with the fact I spent your rut with you."

Harry's face turned stoic at the implication. His lips pursed together while his emerald greens glared at him with upset. 

Discarding everything, Harry's arms laid upon Louis' waist and placed themselves on his lips. Louis gasped softly at the sudden occurrence and Harry immediately took advantage of the opportunity, teasing his tongue between Louis' parted lips. Waddling his tongue through his mouth, he let his tongue layer upon the consort's. A moan moved out of his husband's lips instantaneously, as his hands moved to cup his cheek. Reaffirming his closeness, Harry pushed Louis closer to his body, as he continued ravishing his mouth. 

Slipping away from his lips, Harry steadied himself and looked at Louis with sobriety. "Does that qualify as an answer?"

"Yes," Louis answered kissing his cheeks. 

"Tell me what do you desire as your birthday present."

The flush which infested Louis' face was quick and immediate. 

"You can say no to this and I would understand, okay?" He negotiated. Harry grew bothered with Louis' dubious action but stayed without uttering a word.

"I want to teach you, how to read and write." 

The silence fell like the gong of a bell, quietening everything in the vicinity to pay attention to the languid details around. Harry's eyes refused to break contact with Louis' blues and eventually pushed a smile.

"Seriously?"

"If I hear anyone mocking you because of it, I might just kill that person," he confessed, his eyes flickering with panic, "I don't want you to lose credibility and be insulted because of it. I can't tolerate your pride being tarnished."

"You never fail to surprise me, do you?" He questioned with a chuckle.

* * *

There was a gentle melody seeping through Verloren, the vibrancy of the city had magnified. Exuberance and warmth spilt casually while enthusiasm was running it's course alongside the lanes. Harvest had arrived with zest and joy and every person in Verloren was excitedly moving around to assure the unification of the event.

The crisps of sunlight which littered through the windows had been made more abundant when the curtains had been carded away to the side. The rhythm of footsteps was almost musical, as it gently moved in the direction of the faintly asleep Emperor. 

"Are you for real?" Niall's voice moved through the chambers. "He is still asleep?"

Zayn casually sat back beside Niall, leaning thoroughly on him as he took a bite of the apple, "It's Harry, what'd you expect?"

Sliding beside the Emperor, Louis' fingers made their way through the man's mane. "I know you aren't asleep so I would appreciate it if you'd wake up."

Harry opened his one eye and peeked at his husband before promptly closing them again causing a wave of amusement to rush through his consort. 

"Harry, you can't be late today, it's Harvest," Louis informed him. As he moved away from the man, he felt the man's fingers around his wrist and yanked him towards his sleeping figure. 

"You'll be late." Louis reminded him gently, his face close to the Alpha's, their noses rubbing gently. 

Harry hummed quietly and kissed his cheek gently. "Good Morning to you too."

Chuckling, Louis placed a kiss on his cheek with his eyes glittering, "Good Morning."

Sitting up with Louis' help, he rested his head on the man's shoulders with his arms draped around his waist. Initiating a giggle from Louis' throat, Harry's curls were tugged on with care by Louis' fingers. 

"You can sleep in tomorrow." He hummed and kissed the side of his head. 

Sighing, he nodded his head and looked up at Louis who was endearingly observing his lethargy. 

"There's tea right here, drink that up and go have a bath," he directed the Alpha, placing a chaste kiss on the side of his jaw. "I'll get your clothes ready and get dressed."

"You're not aiding me with the bath?" Harry began, his voice unpleasant and indisputably bothered by the implication. 

"I have quite a bit to look over, Alpha," he smiled, pecking his cheek while the man sipped on his beverage, "I'll return to dress you."

The Alpha was glaring at Louis, unimpressed, as he pulled on his house robes and with ease slipped onto the garment. 

"Breakfast then?" Harry questioned. 

"Go have a bath first." He said kissing his cheek and letting him head towards the washing quarters.

Ordering the maids around to clear the sheets, Louis turned towards two very bewildered Omegas. 

"This happens every day?" Zayn found his tongue. 

"Generally," Louis shrugged, quickly sauntering to the wardrobes. 

As Louis indulged in placing Harry's clothes on the chair before the mirror, Niall's voice intervened his smooth trail, "You both are in love, aren't you?"

Halting immediately at the question asked, Louis looked at them with a stoic expression, "And since the two of you are this jobless, you can go tell Mead that preparations for dessert can begin at noon."

"Also," he additively supplied looking attention Zayn, "tell the guards to remove the chariot."

Louis turned to Niall next, "Ask Liam if everything for the bonfire is in its place or must I yell for that too?"

Understanding perfectly what Louis was attempting to do, Zayn shook his head, as a smirk graced his lips, "Interesting. Very interesting."

"We'll run your errands, Your Highness." Niall joined in with a grin splayed on his face, taking Zayn along with him.

* * *

Harry was the embodiment of grandeur. His beauty was truly not worth a rival because of the radiance he reflected. The way the maroon robes with ease fell down his broad shoulders. The velvet etched with gold threading had a subliminal glow. His hair was twisted into a loose Dutch braid with the crown resting firmly on top.

Standing at the balcony, Louis quietly watched the Alpha walk down the gardens were the pile of logs awaited him.

It was a tradition that both on New Year's and the Harvest a bonfire ought to be lit at noon which should be tended to until the following day. The Ritual had been in practice since aeons and reminded the people that the woes of yesterday would burn to give the joy of tomorrow. 

As the priest continued his recitation, Liam lit the head of a torch and handed it to Harry who took it and questioned him, "Where's Louis?"

"Balcony," Liam responded immediately.

"What is he doing up there?" Harry hissed, "He should be here, get him."

Liam paused momentarily to observe the Emperor's features and realised it was wise to follow his orders.

After the completion of the order, Louis was beside him in no time. Shielded in deep maroon and gold, the man had worn the same choker Harry had gifted him. With a ruby tiara on top of his head, the Alpha affirmed that his decision to have Louis by his side had never been wrong. 

"What's wrong?" Louis questioned. 

"We have to light the bonfire?" Harry reminded him.

"But I'm not an -" 

Louis immediately paused, noticing the shift in Harry's eyebrows and just nodded. 

"Exactly, that's what I thought," Harry responded and handed the torch to him, holding it over Louis' hand.

Setting flames to the block of wood initiated a flinch in Louis' demeanour but the reconciliation of his calmness came quick. 

Turning away, Louis handed the torch to the priest and followed Harry in silence and motioned to the man that the chariot was read for his city visit.

"You're accompanying me, right?" Harry verified. 

Louis' reactions were akin to the one he had revealed on the day Liam announced Harry was to wed him. 

"Umm, no?"

"You're coming." Harry pronounced, "I'll wait until you go bring the bags of gold coins from the closet."

Louis quietly nodded his head and followed his instruction in a daze. 

Observing the man scamper away, Harry's gut asked him to follow his husband to his room and that's exactly what he did. 

Moving into his rooms, he observed that Louis had seated himself on the chair on the dining table and was drinking water. 

"Lou?" Harry's voice ran through, as his footsteps immediately moving towards him, "What's wrong?"

Louis was surprised at the Emperor's approach, "I was just thirsty."

The Alpha stared at him blankly, evidently aware of the lie, waiting for the consort to spit out the truth in more haste. 

Louis stood up and placed his palm on Harry's chest and exhaled a sigh, "I am phobic of fire. I thought I was past that but the bonfire seemed to have overwhelmed me by a bit."

Harry's expression melted gently into understanding, as his hand moved around to drape his waist while the other patted his head which rested itself on his chest. "And when were you going to tell me this?"

"Sorry."

"It's okay," Harry kissed the top of his head. "I shouldn't have coerced you into join-"

"Oh god, that's not the reason. I just thought that you wouldn't want me there?" Louis answered him back. 

"And why would I want that?" Harry questioned, kissing the side of his neck. 

"I don't know?" He responded snuggling closer into his arms. 

"Lou," Harry looked down at him and intertwined their fingers, "you are different from anybody I've met and I need you in my life like the equal you wanted to be when we got married."

Louis' smile was instantaneous and the blush dusted upon his cheeks showcased the embarassment he felt. 

"Careful." He warned him and placed a kiss on his cheek. 

"Why?" Harry questioned back, "Or you'll fall in love with me?"

Louis held Harry's gaze when he chuckled and maneuvered him, "Shall we leave?"

Louis shook his head in agreement and quietly let himself be taken by the King with their palms intertwined. 

Halting abruptly, Louis' hand halted him when they approached the staircase. The sudden pause prompted Harry to turn towards him in questioning. Gently manoeuvring him towards his person, Louis cupped the Emperor's cheek and gently placed his lip on top of Harry's. 

It wasn't quick or passionate, it was slow and sweet. Allowing their lips to graze over the meadows of one another while their tongues gently slithered by with one another. It was at this exact moment, Louis permitted himself to forget that they were in the middle of the hallway surrounded by soldiers and other ministers. Allowing destiny to thread him into Harry's life was a trip of luck but to manifest so deeply into the man that Harry was the only truth he knew. This was how stars united to birth galaxies. This was the way crystals amalgamated to form a jewel. This was how oceans parted to let the sun trip in. And this was how he had fallen irrevocably in love with Harry Edward Styles. 

When they parted, Harry's greens found Louis' azzures immediately and they seemed confused. Louis' smile was in reflection to the sunlight blazing upon them through the threaded architecture of the palace, "Happy Harvest, Harry." 

Blinking in surprise, Harry kissed the consort's forehead and allowed his thumb to rest upon his cheek. "Happy Harvest, my heart."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be out soon. There's some editing left and OMFG AM I EXCITED TO GIVE THAT NEXT ONE!


	14. Measure

The warmth in the weather was something which Harry found annoying. The winds had died down but the Warfield had been made muddy due to the rain which had belted the night which passed. This was one factor, the most compelling one which coerced the Emperor to deeply dislike the borders of Symphony and western Everwater. The change in the weather was unpredictable and to have a war here? Emperor Keith Pearson of Everwater was a bigger idiot than he assumed.

It hadn't been many days since the Harvest had occurred and the war was already beckoning. After the celebrations had concluded it had been hardly a few hours into slumber when the messenger had arrived and informed the Emperor that Keith had called upon war once again. On acquiring this knowledge it became inevitable to respond to the war cries at the edge of Symphony. And the men had arrived at the western border to meet with the man who was slowly yet steadily closing in on their territories and it had become a necessity to place a pause over his claws.

Only one day had passed since the commencement of the confrontation and Harry was already agitated with the fighting. Moving through the tents he was barking out orders at everyone but paused only when he arrived at his tent. Sliding into the canvas of the tent, Harry noticed his husband who was quietly leering at him from the bed as soon as he entered.

"I'm not up for listening to your ranting, Louis," he declared as soon as he stepped in. 

"Why did you not wake me up in the morning?" 

At this Harry paused and looked up at his husband. He was confounded at the question as much as Louis was confused as to why he did not take part in the war.

"What do you mean?"

"Have a bath, we'll talk later." Louis clipped his response. 

"There's a council meeting in the next room, we need to attend to that first," Harry informed and sauntered to the neighbouring room.

All the ministers were seated in the room. Most of them laden with dust and dirt from the field with eyes which looked distinctly tired. 

The entire planning went on for another one hour before Harry was left with Liam, Niall and Louis. 

"Can you both shower before you join us?" Zayn suggested, rolling his eyes and throwing himself onto the chair set around the dining table.

"We're hungry, Zayn," Harry snapped at him, "I really don't care about hygiene right now and we washed our hands."

Zayn's eyebrows gently glided up over his olive skin, painting wrinkles all over his forehead which was promptly ignored by the two Alphas. 

"Although, attacking Ferguson from the North East side would be more reasonable," Niall asserted firmly. 

Louis swallowed the meat and looked at the Emperor, "I agree with Niall on this, their cavalry is exceptionally small in number and the archers aren't trained enough, the attack would be a massive victory."

"How do you know about the archers?" Liam questioned. 

"I am a resourceful person." Louis shrugged. "They've mixed up all the three wings, archery, cavalry and foot soldiers."

"While it seems like a brilliant idea to strengthen an army, it works only if the army in independent units is strong in a ratio," Louis went on, pouring a glass of wine for himself, "of 2:3 at the least."

"Bifurcate their entire army into factions and defeat them as a unit." He concluded and sipped on the wine in completion. 

The entire tent was overwhelmed with silence. The clicking of Louis' fork against the glass was the only noise intervening them. On grasping the eerie quietness of the room, the brunet's head popped up to notice all the eyes focused on him. 

"I get it why you married him," Liam commented resuming food.

"I must say Louis that's impressive," Zayn added on. 

"What if it doesn't work," Harry contradicted, "and has adverse effects."

Louis' blues smiled at Harry with a smug look lurking on his visage, "There's always poison."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Niall cheered on. 

Ignoring Niall's enthusiasm, Louis turned to Harry, "Victory is the endpoint, nobody remembers how you conquered a province, just whether or not you did it."

Niall's smile rewarded him of the answer he required. It was clear Louis had floored the entire room. Zayn was impressed and had given an approving nod to the consort while Liam had thrown an entire compliment, his husband although, permitted only a smirk in his direction.

"I think we can retire to our rooms then," Liam suggested which the others swiftly agreed upon. 

Moving out from the division of the tent, Louis was quick to go prepare for a bath and quicker to assure he was well cared for. As soon as the Emperor had returned, Louis slowly helped him get dressed. 

Slumping himself on the bed, the Emperor was instantaneous to move into comfort. Louis was quick to follow the same suit. 

"I need to talk to you about something," Louis' voice sprang up but before a statement could even be phrased, Harry's response was ready, "You're not going to participate in the war, not physically at least."

"Why?"

"You're King consort, you aren't allowed to."

"Why?"

"It's not safe."

"You're King, you're more at jeopardy than me. You should stay."

"That sounds ridiculous."

"So does your argument." Louis retaliated back with his eyes still glazing at him. 

Harry wasn't willing to bend before this one safety measure. Louis could be as unreasonable he wanted with his demands but this was the one thing the Alpha in no likes or measures was permissible to compromise on.

Pivoting himself towards Louis, he knew the attempt to make him understand the gravity of the situation was fruitless and an order seemed in place. "Louis, stay in camp. It's safe here."

"No."

"I'm not willing to compromise on your safety!" Harry scowled, his voice was sharp, "This is not a suggestion, it's an order, you're staying here, you'll be safe!"

The silence which arrived conspicuously wasn't welcomed, the winds crackling against the pale yellow and red tents was confronted upon. With this rise of voice, however, Louis did not step back nor did he turn to vehemence instead, his hand quickly moved to cup the Alpha's cheek.

"Safety is overrated, I'm with you." 

The statement was like a raincloud had burst upon the Emperor, his eyes didn't go wide but what they did do was pause at him, quietly. His face was stoic with a feeble attempt to take in Louis' words. Ignoring his husband, Harry turned to the other side.

It might've been a few seconds or it might've been a few minutes but it seemed like hours, Harry's brain was still relentlessly working upon what had been said. The words uttered sent him down a spiral of the authenticity of them. It was strange yet compelling at the same time. 

"I'll see to what can be done." Harry's reluctance withered. 

"Can I persuade you in any way?" Louis questioned him, slowly slithering his hands down to the Alpha's torso while he gently nipped on his ear causing Harry's dimples to gently pop out in the form of a smile. 

"You're such a minx," Harry muttered and turned to pin the Beta underneath him.

"For your eyes only." He pecked his cheek, initiating the Emperor to nuzzle into his neck.

* * *

The entirety of Symphony's army was bustling. The crackling of armours, the dusting of hooves against the dust, the chatter around the tents, everything was collectively moving towards the impending war which would begin at dawn. The entirety of the preparation was almost over with an exception of addressing of all the soldiers.

"Harry, your armour isn't tied appropriately," Louis called out and gently latched the leather straps again.

As Louis continued to check on the armour, Harry's emeralds drifted upon Louis' person. The Beta was assuring everything was perfect, quietly cascading his gaze through the Alpha. Holding his wrist abruptly, his actions called a stop by the Emperor. 

"What's wrong, Your Highness?" Louis' blues asked. 

Harry pulled him closer to his person with his arms gently draping themselves around his waist. It was quick enough to grab all of the brunet's attention. Drowning his eyebrows in a frown, his hands tenderly traced his jaw. "What's wrong?"

"If you hurt yourself in the field which is anything more than a bruise," his eyes holding up Louis' own, "I'll kill you."

If there was this crossover between entertaining and touched, Louis' face was an embodiment of that expression. "Careful, Your Majesty, I might be inclined to believe you care for me."

"By a great deal," Louis added and kissed his cheek. 

Pushing Louis away from his person, Harry assured he fell on top of the bed with the Emperor caging him in between his arms. "This is why I shouldn't have married you."

"There have been many instances where I already have proven you wrong," Louis rejoined, his lips ghosting near Harry's own, "and I'll be glad to do it again."

"Don't die," Harry warned and got off him but as soon as he stood up alongside Louis, he pulled him into a kiss. The kiss melted both of them into a steady haze, as their eyes shut close. They forgot for a moment about maelstrom around them which was going to unfold into a more feral chaos, it was just the two of them in their easily made bubble. Raking his tongue against the Alpha's who quietly in reprisal bit his bottom lip with a vengeance which made the consort moan. It was then when Louis detached to attack the man's neck.

Pulling away, Harry stared back into his husband's Aquamarines, "You aren't going to die." 

In no time Louis traversed back to the Alpha's lips. Gentle and firm. A response of a sort and it would've been passionate if-

"Your Majesty, the army-" Nick immediately retracted. "Forgive me, Your Highness."

Looking at Harry's visage, Louis pecked his cheek, "I'll be fine."

"Stop worrying so much." He said with a small smile which attempted to renew Harry's Emperor mode which it did out of compulsion. 

Nodding his head, he called the men who were waiting outside his tent. Briefing the ploy of the battle, he stationed the men with their duties and prepared to boast the soldiers' morale one more time before heading out for battle. 

Although, Zayn and Niall arrived to give their wishes for the two Alphas right prior to them leaving to meet the soldiers. 

As they approached, Harry turned to Louis who was right beside him, "Do I really have to do this?"

Expectant of the laziness of the Alpha, Louis' eyebrow rose in amusement, "You should've thought that bit before murdering your uncle."

Harry rolled his eyes and looked at him, "You're supposed to help me out."

"I'll do that as soon as you accompany me to my dance lessons," Louis retorted playfully, "every day."

Harry eventually did go away to give the prep talk but as he did Louis' eyes quietly followed him. 

The exchange was witnessed by nearly everyone who was in presence and glances were exchanged but nobody uttered a word. When Harry returned to their company, Liam caught upon something else.

"What's up with your neck?" Liam smirked, noticing the angry teeth marks placed for the world to see.

"The same what should have been up with yours but let's face it, Payno, I'm better in the you know what department than Zayn."

"Who invited him to the war field?" Liam questioned, clearly displeased, his eyes glaring at Harry who chuckled at the comparison.

"I'll let you know, it wasn't me." Harry clipped. 

Smiling, Louis mounted on the horse and beckoned to the line of soldiers which was right before them.

* * *

Harry was infuriated.

He was pacing all through his tent which was swarming with healers on account of one person, Louis.

It had been an approximate three weeks since the battle had drawn out and Louis had accompanied him every single day. He had been effortlessly proficient on the field and in strategizing but it was evident that lady luck ran through and the man had successfully injured himself. Due to his uncharacteristic location of choice, it took some time after sundown to locate him. By the time they got his unconscious body to the healing tent, an infection had already spurted due to the wound on his shoulder and back. 

"Your Highness," a healer bravely approached Harry, holding out his hand and handing him a broken silver bracelet, "we found this on, Your Highness Louis' person."

The bracelet was the same one which belonged to Harry's mother, the one he had handed over on the wedding night. The sapphire had cracked and the band was in three pieces. At the sight of this, Harry was well aware of what had occurred on the battlefield. 

"Your Highness," the healer approached him, "we have bandaged the stab wounds but the Consort's infection bubbled up and we estimate he'll have a fever soon and hopefully wake-up when it breaks."

Harry nodded his head and dismissed them. He knew it was going to take a while for Louis to recover and he earnestly hoped he would. It was unnatural for him to feel this worried if it wasn't Niall or Zayn or Liam. Louis brought out the rawest side in him and that bothered the Alpha. Louis did not have any sort of special bond with him which was placed biologically but the intensity with which the two of them sought one another out scared Harry. The intensity they had was inexplicable. 

And every day which passed solidified that inexplicable thing they had. When Louis did things like these, to get himself half killed for his mother's bracelet it forced him to look at his husband with more concern than he was supposed to. The marriage had been a convenience but Louis' actions and words made him feel that this was anything but that.

Shaking his thoughts away, Harry turned away to Liam's voice who beckoned him to the war council.

"Ask them not to suggest stupid things or get on my nerves." He ordered Liam who shook his head and went into the tent where the others where. 

"It's really curious," Niall muttered, he was seated alongside Zayn in Harry's room. They had been witnessing the chaotic turn of events in the room since Louis had been brought in.

"Niall, I am really not in the mood." Harry put him off.

Zayn added onto Niall's aforesaid statement and smiled, "You've been married to him for some seven months-"

"Eight months and four days." Harry corrected him.

"Not a very long period of time."

"And the concern you have is unprecedented." Niall contributed.

"He is not an Omega either." Liam piped in.

"Glad you could join in," Harry snapped at him.

The three of them exchanged glances at Harry's petulant response and looked at him expectantly. 

"Harry," Niall began. 

"Weren't you the one to support this marriage?" Harry snapped. 

The blond rolled his eyes and sighed at Harry, "I still am but it's just odd to see you this way, it's evident that you love him-"

"-I what?!" Harry cut him off, his jaw dropped. 

"Harry, we aren't saying it's a bad thing and I do believe that you of all people deserve someone to love," Zayn put forth in a more accommodating manner. 

"But," Liam continued, "you need to keep in mind he isn't an Omega and you're King-"

"Can the three of you shut the fuck up?!" He scowled at the bombardment of inferences, "These are the most ridiculous accusations I've heard in my life and the next time, keep them to yourself."

The trio was taken back by the reply given by the Emperor when Niall took it up forward, "He is in denial."

"You don't want me to smack you across your face." Harry threatened and stormed into the room.

* * *

The evening breeze cut through the unusual warmth of the day. The tender wind carrying through the dust of the horses who halted right before the tents. The dust grew into a whirlwind as the hooves began to park themselves faster. The once quiet camp grew alive with the jostling of the soldiers.

Treading to the camp, Harry was giving out hasty orders to Liam and the others. It was when he bordered his own tent when the Head of the healers was seen outside his tent. 

"He is awake," the woman told him, her warm hazel looking him with an expression which was clearly annoyed, "and he is being a menace. Very accommodating but a menace."

"How do you do both of them together?" Harry questioned him with a smirk. 

"Well Your Majesty, you must know-how." The redhead smiled knowingly.

"What did he say?"

"Nothing specific but I think he wants to see you, I'm sure his petulance will wither away once you're with him," Amyther answered and thoughtfully added. "And I'm not letting you in before you have a bath, he has just recovered as it is."

Grunting, Harry did as he was told before he darted out to meet Louis. 

Moving in to meet his husband who was quietly sitting and staring at the entrance of the tent. Noticing the arrival of the Emperor, the healers immediately darted out to the side leaving Zayn and Niall in view with Louis. 

"Leave us," the Alpha order strung and he turned to the two Omegas, "the two of you included."

"We'll come back for dinner." Niall sang and let the two of them alone.

Sitting beside the brunet, Harry was quick to embrace his tiny husband which was reciprocated in the blink of an eye. Gently patting the back of Louis' head, Harry kissed the side of his head. "You idiot."

"I missed you," Louis muffled back. 

Reluctantly parting away, Louis' baby blues were pouting at him, "I'm not going to apologise for fighting in the battle but I do apologise for not taking care of myself."

Reluctantly nodding his head, the Alpha smirked, "I'll bring this up when the next war comes up."

Pouting unhappily, Louis gave a reluctant smile. "Where is the bracelet though?"

"I have it," he said kissing his forehead, "I'll get it repaired after reaching Verloren."

"You're nicer." Louis observed and smiled, initiating a raise of the Alpha's eyebrows, "And I don't know why?"

"Sometimes you don't need answers, do you?" Harry questioned. "Just a leap of faith."

Louis smiled and pecked his cheek.

* * *

War drums were beating with resonance, as the sun was spilling it's colour to the clouds. The warmth had spread before the light came through. The tents abruptly were shaken into consciousness. As realisation pulled the soldiers from slumber, ambiguity spread like a plague through the quarters.

Harry was rudely awoken by Louis from an extremely exhaustive sleep. Rubbing his eyes, his voice came through, "What's wrong, Lou?"

"We won yesterday," Louis told him. "Then why the fuck are the war drums beating outside?"

Launching himself up, Harry was quick to get up and move out of his tent with Louis following him. 

The battle lasted for two entire months after Louis woke up. Relentlessly ploughing their efforts in consistence, their hard work had finally borne fruit. Keith had admitted defeat and was going to negotiate on the terms on that very day but the symphony of the war-drums were showcasing an alternative route.

Harvey stood before them with worry on his face, "He has called reinforcements. On an approximate five thousand infantry and another five thousand cavalries."

"Twelve thousand in total with the ones already stationed here, Your Highness." Harvey added on to the table of observations, "We have eight thousand soldiers who can fight."

"He has also asked for a meeting in _our_ tents." Harvey added, handing the parchment to Harry. 

"Should've poisoned him when we had a chance," Niall muttered to them. 

Lifting his eyes from the letter which had been handed to Louis, the consort responded, "It's still not late."

"We'll meet him, crush his idea of negotiations and win this war," Harry announced. "Where is Nicholas?"

Nick waddled through and presented himself. "Ask for the canons from the city and tell them to send the elephants too. Go."

Nick nodded and left.

* * *

Keith was placed at the opposite end of the long table before Harry. After he took his seat, his Omega settled down on his right and his commander on the left with the other tier ministers filling the table until halfway.

Harry's side almost mirrored them. Almost. The only difference was Louis' hand stayed put on Harry's thigh in assurance. 

"Styles." Keith began. "You can't win this, you know it."

"So what is it that you propose we do?" Harry mocked him. 

"Give us Sinisthra." 

"That's not happening," Harry interjected. 

Keith's whiskey brown's collided with Harry's raging green. 

"Your Consort is very beautiful," Keith admitted. "Louis, right?"

Silence plagued through the entire tent causing the wisps of wind to reveal their sound. The comment which had been uttered had a specific reaction in everyone from Harry's side and it was fury. The grips which tightened on the goblets was very perceptible. Harry was observant in noticing the flash of hurt which ran through Keith's Omega's visage and the quick bent in the head which came by.

"So is Michael." Louis responded promptly, "What's your point."

"Your Alpha understands my intention." Keith implied with a smirk.

"I actually don't. I do not understand your intention which is why I am giving you an opportunity to fuck these negotiations and go back to your army." Harry informed him. 

"Because when we win the war and I take you prisoner, I will cut off your tongue and gauge your eyes out and give it to _my_ Louis to honour him for what you just implied so take this opportunity and apologize by fucking off to wherever you came from."

Harry's words vibrated with the rhythm which sent chills down their throats. The force and conviction behind the words coerced everyone to look at the Alpha with awe for the dominance exhibited. 

"You can leave," Harry repeated in his Alpha voice causing the Omega's in the room to flinch.

* * *

Louis was waiting for Harry near the entrance of the camp alongside the others. He was riding with them in battle regardless of Harry's protests.

As the Alpha came through, war cries were filling the atmosphere alongside the beating of the drums. The intense situation of yesterday's negotiation had crumbled down to give birth to a new ray of determination, pride. Louis' insult caused everyone to steam in annoyance at the enemy frontiers. 

The newfound devotion called all of them to pick their weapons up to defend their lands. 

Stopping before him, the Alpha's eyes met Louis' sparingly. The concern from the Emperor radiated in Louis' direction, as he moved forward with him towards their horses where Zayn and Niall remained. 

"Why are the two of you joining us?" Harry groaned as he held the reins of the horse. "We can't keep our eyes on you both too."

"That's exactly our point," Zayn smiled deviously while Niall responded, "you don't need to."

Knowing that he would be unable to change their decision, he turned to Louis, "May I change your decision?"

"You know that's going to be a tad bit difficult," Louis told him.

"Louis?" The Alpha's voice called out, causing him to pause momentarily to give his attention to the Emperor.

"What's wrong?" Louis questioned, holding his gaze. 

It was just in that minute, Harry's hand grasped his wrist to lurch him forward into a deepened kiss. The kiss was the one effective way through which the Emperor could communicate his desperation. The oceans of worry he held for the man with thorough adoration of everything he did. Harry couldn't voice this but the gesture could. 

When they parted away, all Louis did was hand him his brightest smile and kiss his cheek. 

"I'll be safe." He promised. 

The day waned and the afternoon sun was shrouded by the clouds, as the war field raged on. Louis had been around the field and as he gazed, he knew regardless of the size, Symphony was on tilted on the winning side. 

Continuing in stealth, as he dropped soldier after soldier dead, he felt his body drenching down in sweat and lethargy of a kind which was odd. 

As he continued to fight, the faint scent of his heat jolted him into alarm. 

Surprised at the situation, Louis wondered how the fuck had such a discrepancy occurred. Discarding the root of the cause, he knew he had to move back to the camp in haste. Turning his horse in the direction of Symphony's camp, he rode faster on the path. 

Precisely at that moment, a rope was pulled in between causing the horse to fall and catapult Louis afar. 

"This is an interesting development," Keith's voice commented, as the shadow of his figure fell on Louis. "I wonder how much will Styles pay to obtain you now."


	15. Macabre

Harry was moving around with a stillness. They had planned out Louis' escape to great detail but the detail and finesse with which the situation needed to accessed were terribly intricate. Any kind of discrepancy in the entirety of the plot planned and the situation could end up terrifying for his Louis. 

The fact that he still considered Louis his baffled the Alpha. Louis had outrightly, blatantly and shamelessly _lied_ to him. He had concealed a fact which should not have been even subjected to be veiled. It was as though he had hidden his existence and woven the entirety of their relationship into a facade. 

Regardless of every fucking thing which occurred, Harry's life was inevitably wound around the man who was captured and he wasn't going to leave him. Not yet. 

"Your Majesty!" A guard hurried into his tent. "Alpha Pearson's Omega is outside with Consort Louis!" 

Harry's entirety bolted up from his place. His eyes looked at him with his eyes widened, "What do you mean?!"

"He is on a horse and Highness Louis is with him." Fearfully looking at the bewildered Alpha, the guard dropped sentence. "He is experiencing his first wave."

Harry moved out, as quick as lightning. The rest of the council behind him with equal swift. Harshly pushing away the curtain before the tent, his eyes quickly moved to the chariot before him which had the Omega standing before him. 

Stepping down from the chariot, Michael was carrying Louis down and quickly traversed to Harry who looked extremely sceptical at the entire order of events.

"Your responsibility, I believe," He said gesturing towards the man he was carrying in his arms.

Staring down at the blues of the Omega before him, Harry felt determination radiating out of them. Devoted but lethal, something very akin to his husband's. Realising very clearly that this Omega wanted something very different from what Keith did.

"Zayn, could you take him in?" Harry ordered more than requested with respect to Louis.

"I'd be against that recommendation, Your Highness," Michael suggested, "he has already injured my arm severely enough for medication and has killed four Alphas when they attempted to misbehave, he isn't listening to anybody and is consistently calling for you."

"You'll just be letting your friend in unneeded peril," Michael added, his lips twitching. "And I'd thoroughly appreciate it if you did take him away because my arm might break with the pressure your consort is applying." 

Harry stepped closer causing the aroma of Louis' heat blossoming in the air. The smell overpowering enough to edge him. His eyes moved through Louis' limp figure and gently took him into his arms. 

"Get a bath ready." He ordered looking up at Liam. 

"Give Consort Michael living quarters and assure that he receives medical attention." Harry instructed. "Also, employ guards around his quarters."

"You don't want to know my ulterior motives?" Michael asked him. 

"They can wait." Harry disregarded him and carried Louis into his tent.

* * *

The scattered footsteps were the first thing which rummaged through Louis' sense. The familiarity of the sheets was second.

It was quick and abrupt when he tried to recall the events of the days gone by. His memory gently revealed a few things like Consort Michael saving him and then Harry spending the heat with him. 

Harry's reaction, however, was something he had no recollection of and the Omega knew that deep inside, it was probably the most important thing to recall. 

Pushing himself up, he called for the guard at the door to inform the helpers to heat water for his bath. 

"You're up?" Zayn strolled in, as he was putting on the robe given to him by a maidservant. 

"Don't talk to me before I've had my tea." Louis responded flatly, "I am already aware of the catastrophe approaching me."

"That's a fine way of phrasing it." Zayn chuckled. "Catastrophe."

"Has he gone to war?" Louis questioned him.

The dark-haired Omega smirked, "He went in today, killed Keith, subjugated the rest of his army, all by afternoon."

"He is in a meeting regarding negotiations in relations to them with Michael." Zayn informed him. 

Louis sighed and moved away to the tub of water which was brought into his tent and placed at the corner.

"Do you think he'll forgive me?" Louis questioned, biting his lips in worry. 

"Honestly, Louis," Zayn began, "I have no fucking clue what he'd do. He can literally do anything, nobody has ever been able to predict him." 

Louis pulled the string for the curtain to fall to separate the two sides.

"I hope he does," his broken mumble resonated through the tent. 

Zayn leased his company to the Consort until he finished his quick bath and dressed himself up. While the man was busy he ordered the maids around to clear the sheets and the rest of the contents of the room which were dirtied in the frenzy of Louis' heat. 

After helping the man get dressed, Louis was just about to sit down on the bed when they heard a noise from the outside.

Meandering out of the tent, Zayn and Louis shifted to the source. It was Harry's voice raging in echoes around the camp. 

Entering the tent where the two of them assumed the Alpha was, they stepped in. The scene which greeted them was Niall and Shawn on one side with Harry on the stark opposite with Liam whose fingers were massaging his temples.

"What's going on?" Zayn squeaked in.

The four occupants lifted their gaze to look at the men. 

"Niall's expecting," Liam told the two Omegas. 

"Expecting what?" Zayn questioned, confused. 

Louis elbowed the man to make him realise which brought an 'Oh' from Zayn. Widening his eyes, he turned in the direction of the fellow Omega and launched, "Whose is it?"

"Shawn, I think." Louis replied calmly. 

"How did you know that?" Harry questioned, raising his eyebrows in intrigue. 

"Noticed it." Louis shrugged, "It wasn't my business to pry so I never went ahead with telling anybody."

"That's what you taught Reus' as well?" Harry snarled in retaliation. 

Louis deemed it wise to not retaliate in opposition and remained quiet, looking away from the Emperor knowing he couldn't answer.

"Is there anything more I must know or do we need an abduction for that as well?!" Harry yelled at him, causing the Omegas' to flinch in unity. 

"Probably you were a mage or a sorceress or a lost prince even." Harry added sarcastically storming towards the exit.

"I am." Louis breathed in a whisper. 

Harry paused his footsteps while Liam visibly blanched at the admission, his fellow Omegas just sighed in response and kept their gaze constant and turned to Louis. 

"Exaltion." Louis responded taking in a deep breath, "I'm the only one who escaped with Sirius."

"Where is Sirius?" Liam questioned him. 

"Dead." Louis sighed. 

Harry stormed out of the room without saying a word whatsoever.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the subjugation at the border and the caravan of soldiers had dispersed into moving back to the Capitol. The soldiers had been broken down into factions and led off separately.

Michael had been given the reigns of his rightful Empire but Harry knew he couldn't rule that even with his petrifying self. Compelling the Emperor to leave someone in Everwater to supervise on behalf of Verloren. The surprise, however, arrived when Mike made an interesting demand.

"I'd actually request for Harvey, Your Majesty." He suggested taking a sip from the goblet. "Since, he is my mate and all that jazz alongside being a very trustworthy commander in your force." 

Harry had paused his actions and glazed in the direction of his commander, "You're his mate?"

"I have no idea." Harvey answered back, looking like a deer stuck in headlights and glaring in Mike's direction.

"If Harvey is here I would want him to oversee Meine Fieyre as well." 

Mike let out a grin and put down his goblet, "Meine Fieyre, why don't you give us Juanne as well and we can raise those taxes up to thirty per cent."

"The borders can halt at the edge of Exaltion." Mike proposed causing Harry to lean back into thought. 

"You aren't ready for Juanne." Harry responded. "When I do feel you are I will do what you propositioned."

"As you wish," Mike had agreed upon and retreated to his lands with _an Alpha_.

With the negotiations agreed upon and the required arrangements done, they had started their journey back to Verloren. And through the three weeks of the said journey, Harry hadn't uttered a word to his consort. They slept in different beds albeit the same quarters but did not make an effort to converse with one another. 

On reaching a few miles away from the city borders, the caravan had halted for the night. It was obvious that by the afternoon on the following day but Louis' health had failed incredibly coercing them to pause for some time while the healers examined him. 

Niall stepped inside with his face drawn into stoicism. "Harry wants the check-up to happen quickly."

Louis' blues glared at Niall in vehemence, "He hasn't spoken to me in three weeks and now has the fucking gall to order me around."

Niall rolled his eyes and sat down beside Louis waiting for the healer when a steady stream of tears came down the Omega's face. The blond shook his head and cupped the Omega, "Louis, what's wrong?"

"He is such a dick." Louis told him, wiping his tears away. "I get it I made a mistake."

At that point, Zayn had traversed inside as well and was just quietly looking at him. Niall placed his hand on the Omega's hand. 

"Lou," Niall began with a smile, "you know how much he despises liars and whatsoever your insecurity was to keep such a vital piece of information from him has obviously hurt him."

On the occurrence of this conversation, Harry sighed and sat down on the other side of the curtain, eavesdropping on the conversation. 

Louis looked down at his fingers and sniffled, "Even if I would, he wouldn't understand the gravity of such a simplistic reason."

"You can always try." Zayn told him.

"I love him." Louis' voice ran through. 

Harry shut his eyes and pressed his temples with the tips of his fingers. 

"Your Highness?" A maidservant intervened pausing Louis' sniffs and warned him of the healer's advent.

The woman gave a respectful nod to the King and moved into the quarters to assess Louis' condition.

"Did you eat something unusual yesterday, Your Highness?" The healer's voice tore through. 

"Not really." Louis answered, his voice still hoarse, "I've been ceaselessly tired."

"Tired, you say?" The healer inquired, "Do you have a headache?"

"I do," Louis responded but instantly supplied, "but that's because I keep crying."

"The mood swings?" 

"That's because Harry isn't talking to me."

"And the backache?" The healer threw at him, sarcasm evident in her voice, "That's because of the crying too?"

Louis' eyes shot up at the healer at what was being supplied and in the very next moment there were silent tears down his cheeks. 

"That's not possible." Louis reprimanded, shaking his head forcefully, "the first heat is infertile, the heats after that the cycle resets to normalcy."

"You're exhibiting all the symptoms, Your Majesty." The healer told him bluntly and thoughtfully let his words following, "You were on a diet which was high on berries when you were injured if I must remind you."

"I've been taking those since so long." Louis attempted to counter the argument. 

"Turns out the fates have been generous." The healer responded with her gaze on Louis. 

"You're dismissed." Louis gave out an order to the healer who looked like she was going to repartee but receded instead. 

"Louis," Zayn called out, wiping his tears away, "isn't this a good thing?"

Louis let out a choked laugh and let out more tears, "You think he is going to talk to me because I'm carrying his child?"

"He will have to talk to you, Louis." Niall assured. 

"I'd rather die than receive his superficial concern over it," Louis sobbed and let out a gasp for air, "it's going to be the way Adrian was with Sofia."

Niall seemed a bit confused with the reference but Zayn beat him to the questioning, "Who is Adrian?"

"My brother," Louis answered, "sometimes he reminds me of him way too much."

"Fuck." The Omega cursed, "Now I'm remembering all of them and I'm going to cry more."

Zayn rubbed his back and handed him a glass of water, "Probably you should talk about it, it might relieve you."

"The only thing which will help-"

"The only thing which will help?" Niall repeated and looked at him and felt his eyes widen. 

Louis' eyes were looming like clear water over a lake undisturbed, the colour had depreciated to a dull grey. Movement departed from Louis and his skin was growing scathingly cold. Alerting himself at the recent development, he beckoned Zayn to immediately go fetch the Emperor.

* * *

"Harry, this is enough." Zayn's voice alarmingly rang through.

"What is?" Harry questioned, feigning ignorance as he assessed the design on the threading.

"Louis." Niall rang. 

"What about him?" Harry questioned, rolling his eyes.

Liam took a seat beside Harry and glared at him. Although the Alpha had been extremely passive in his reproach to the situation, his diplomacy was at a breaking point as well. 

Louis hadn't awoken since he fell into the drop. After the entire situation, they had moved to Verloren with the Omega in the same state. And now almost three days had passed yet the Omega hadn't opened his eyes. 

"Harry, he is expecting," Liam reminded him, "it would be wise if you'd hasten up your forgiveness process."

Harry's glare would've burnt the Alpha into ash if it could be manifested. 

"It's not healthy and if the healers won't tell you, I'll tell you that so much stress could cause him to miscarry."

Harry's gaze hardened and before he could respond with an equally scalding response, Louis' voice intervened, "Shut up, Liam."

Everyone quickly transferred their attention upon Louis and rushed towards him. Voices collided with one another instantaneously in attempts to inquire concerning his health. The mayhem stipulated the Omega to let out a loud cry asking them to pause their investigation and let him alone until he regains his strength. After he moved to the bath, Harry ordered for the healers to check up on his Omega.

When the healer completed his examination, Harry alongside the others was patiently waiting outside for the verdict of the woman. 

"Your Majesty, a word?" The woman told him, as she exited the chambers.

Harry made his way through and looked at the healer, "What's wrong?" 

"What's going on with your Omega?"

Harry's eyebrows furrowed at the accusation but before he could respond, she questioned, "Your Omega is not aware of what a drop is nor is he aware of how many times a heat even occurs."

"He doused himself on suppressants after his first heat but this sort of lack of knowledge is pitiful, Your Majesty," He enlightened the Emperor on a further extent who just looked at him like she spoke a language which was foreign in nature, "I will be educating him in these areas indefinitely but he desperately requires comfort from your side, Your Highness."

"You're dismissed, Rhaea." He tools the healer after nodding in assent to what was said.

* * *

Zayn was worried.

He was aware that he was the first one to oppose their union but they had come a long way since then. His respect for Louis had increased tenfold and if he was being thoroughly sincere with himself, he believed that Harry's choice was the most appropriate, not only for the Alpha but also for the Empire. 

They did encounter a formidable number of storms but overcame them with the same intensity. It was as if regardless of how difficult the situation was, how fiercely stubborn both of them were, it nearly impossible to keep them away from each other. But suddenly this impossible feat seemed achievable at the moment when Louis moved out of his quarters.

On arriving at the rooms Louis had decided to shift to, he looked around for the Omega who he saw ordering the helpers around.

"Louis." Zayn muttered his name. 

"Zayn." Louis addressed, his face flushed evidently from crying. "What happened?"

"Leave us." Zayn declared to everyone in the room.

Adhering to the orders, all the helpers moved out of the door which was when Niall entered as well. 

"You're here as well," Louis averted his gaze, as he moved to the wardrobe, "I'll order something for the two of you to eat?"

Niall sat on the bed and rubbed his temples and looked at Zayn who was standing observing the consort. Finally, Zayn placed the question, "Why did you change your living quarters?" 

Louis meandered around the chambers like the question wasn't even uttered. 

"Louis." Niall repeated for his attention. 

"Yeah?" Louis responded back, as he told the guard to go fetch him some lemonade. 

"What did my brother do?" Niall repeated with more brute force.

Louis looked at the two of them and diverted his gaze to the floor, "He implied that since I spent a while in Pearson's camp there is a possibility that the child-"

"-Harry wouldn't say something like that," Zayn countered and looked at Louis whose deplorable state was nothing if not upsetting, "How can he be so fucking insensitive?!"

"It's okay," Louis shook off nonchalantly, "any reasonable Alpha would have travelled down that route of thoughts."

"Tragically, I also have an ego so," Louis gestured around to the decision which was made.

"I swear to god I am going to kill him." Niall stormed out of the quarters without a second thought.

Zayn looked at Louis who just let out a breath of exasperation as he massaged his temples before requesting, "Could you please see to it that Niall doesn't do exactly that?"


	16. Magnification

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **CHAPTER TAG : GORE AND REFERENCES TO GRAPHIC VIOLENCE**

The room was carded with shades of burgundy and pink. A long table placed to the edge of it bordering the balcony, surrounded by screens. The morning breeze was still fresh in its breath although the sun had begun its reign. The cold of the flooring was still stuck and had every intention of staying there until warmth clouded the atmosphere. 

The entire inner council had been present to review the expenditure of the war which had been drafted by Niall. While they sped through the list and placed other relevant concerns over it, Louis arrived nearly an hour later. 

"You're so early," Harry remarked, as he took his seat beside the Emperor on the long table. 

"I reviewed it in the morning," Louis bit back and looked at him, "I was hungry."

"You'll grow fat if you eat so much," Harry murmured, insensitivity bland in his voice.

"Like your thick head?" He darted out. 

"Is that the way you speak to your Emperor?"

"Nope," Louis' replied reassessing the paper before him, "that's the way I speak to my mate. My Emperor and my husband are kinder and more rational."

Glancing towards the Emperor, his blues weren't the ones Harry woke up to, the calm but today they were hurricanes which birthed as a rage brought by the gentle rain on the souring of its taste. 

"You should meet him sometime." He added and then melted into a forced smile. "Can we have a civilized discussion or does the _Emperor_ wish to fuel more court gossip?"

Shifting immediately, he returned his attention to the men before him who seemed like they intervened into a terribly private conversation. On returning to the other matters at hand it seemed that the war had actually been beneficial in a few aspects and those few aspects Louis wanted to plunder at the moment which gave way to Omega rights.

As they delved deeper into the topic, Louis' advice seemed valuable enough to craft the new laws. 

"I think alongside this," Liam added, "we should organise a charity drive."

"We haven't had one since you ascended." He gave away. 

There were words of accord quickly uttered which showed assent to the suggestion made. 

"It seems appropriate." Louis' sided with Liam as well looking up at Harry who was carefully considering this decision but nodded nevertheless. 

"Agreeable." He responded. "When?"

"We can do it a day before your birthday or even on it." Zayn slid in, his eyes questioning Harry.

Dismissing the council around him, a guard moved before the consort, as he rose, "There's a messenger for you, Your Majesty."

Louis' eyebrows rose at the queer piece of information. Nobody wrote to Louis, the prior reason being he seldom made friends and almost never gave the right address to where he lodged. The same surprise was exhibited by the remnants of the room. 

"Messenger from where?" Louis questioned. 

"Armphasis." The messenger answered, "The messenger claims to be Prince Terrence." 

Louis blinked at the knowledge parted by the man, staring at the guard. He wasn't taken back by the declaration, he was inevitably astonished. It had been ten years since the fire and eleven since he met anybody from a kingdom affiliated with Exaltion much less their closest friends. For someone to not only inquire the whereabouts of his person and successfully pin his location down was commendable especially since he did not leave any stone unturned to hide his identity.

"Where is Terrence?" Louis asked. 

"He is waiting by the courtyard."

"Make sure he is seated and offer him refreshments, I'll be there in a moment." Louis ordered and moved away. 

"Who is this Terrence?" Niall questioned, curiosity piqued. 

"Friend."

"A Prince?" Liam commented, unconvinced with his response. 

Louis glanced at the scepticism exuding the men around him and sat down beside his Alpha, "Ryecatcher and Willtier were close provinces and were allies to one another."

"After Exaltion burnt and there was no King to govern our province, Ryecatcher protected the ruins of the place." Louis narrated. "They obviously didn't know I was still alive."

"So family friends technically," Zayn pointed out, simplifying it. 

"Really good family friends." Louis smiled. 

"How good?" Harry asked, his eyes colliding with Louis', evidently insinuating.

Louis' lips pursed and his gaze hardened, as they riveted at Harry, "King Tihan, Terrence's older brother was a very good friend of mine and the spring in which Exaltion burnt was the one I was supposed to get betrothed to him."

"It clearly did not happen," Louis added. "I haven't seen him since and if you do possess any qualms about it, I would like to kindly remind you that it's your mark I bear upon my neck not anybody else's."

"So the only competition you have is with good old Keith," Louis reminded, poison spitting out in the form of words, "on your implication of course."

Harry glared at Louis wordlessly. It was clear that Louis broke free from his reservations against the Alpha.

"I'm coming with you."

* * *

The courtyard was Harry's personal favourite part of the palace. Situated in the far corner of the palace, it was lined with fountains and the most exquisite of trees, the grass was soft underneath the soles of the feet almost everytime he walked bare. He had often spent time here in solitude when he desired to reign his thoughts in appropriation. The calmness the place brought helped him in a great deal very often. 

On arriving to the courtyard, Harry noticed a man draped dark grey seated, sipping upon the juice provided by the palace. 

When he was made aware of their presences, the Prince rose to greet the two rulers of the vast province of Symphony which was unknowingly annexing the rest of the neighbouring provinces around them. 

The man before him was one amongst the fairest people Harry had seen. His dark red mane was tamed into a single braid which paused at his waist, few strands looming infront on the side of his temples.

"Prince Terrence," Harry moved forward and welcomed him. "Welcome to Verloren."

"King Harry," Terrence's repartee came forth. "I thank you for approving to meet me."

Harry tilted his head at the fellow Alpha and gestured him to take a seat, "But I wasn't the one you intended to meet, was I?"

Moving his gaze towards Louis, he placed his arm to maneuver his Omega forward and place him before the man. "My Queen, Louis."

The expression on Prince Terrence's face was what he could call as nonchalance. His face did not twitch but remained alabaster as Louis moved forward to greet him. 

"Forgive my impertinence, Prince Terrence," Louis began, "but for the sake of surity could you please cite one incident which would validate familiarity?"

Terrence's smile preceded his words, "When Sophia was in her fourth month you mentioned you didn't want to present as an Omega."

Louis forced a smile and nodded his head, stepping forward, he questioned, "May I?"

Terrence refrained from responding and allowed himself to be embraced by Louis, it took him aback, for an Omega to commit such an action with another Alpha when his mate was in the vicinity. But the genuity which radiated from the embrace clearly showed the purity of Louis' intentions.

"When Tihan received news that you were alive after a sighting near Everwater, I didn't believe him but I find myself surprised," Terrence told the Omega.

"How've you been?" Louis asked. 

"Fantastic actually." Terrence smiled and looked at him, "I see you're doing great as well with the hint of the smell. How far are you?"

"A few weeks." Louis chirped and took a seat.

"Congratulations to the two of you," the earnestness in his voice was plainly visible, as he glimpsed at the Emperor.

"The reason I'm actually here is because the Draughts are planning on attacking Exaltion again." 

Louis blinked blankly at the bomb of information which was dropped. "There's nothing left there to attack, there are just ruins in the place of the city."

"You and I both know the treasury was emptied by your father."

Louis' chuckle came in intermissions, "They won't find it, not without killing half of their army at the least."

"They found your amulet." Terrence added making Louis hand stop midway with the glass of juice. 

"How?"

"I have no idea but the soldier who found it fought against your army recently."

"Louis," Harry's voice intertwined, "from where I stand all I can hear are the drums of another war which we really can't afford at this point."

"I came to inform you of the development," He looked at the two of them and added, "it's your call in defending the city or not since the treasury is your right to claim."

Louis was still for a moment, taking in the information conveyed. He knew this situation wasn't what he saw coming. In no manner did he expect his past to turn up at his doorstep with a varied bunch of issues when he already had things to deal with. 

"If there is a possibility of a war there are people who will collectively make this decision with me." Louis answered. 

"Let us know if you do decide on claiming Exaltion," Terrence responded and further detailed, "Tihan is very serious on not letting you down a second time."

Louis shook his head in seriousness. "Of course."

"I'll leave then."

"You've just arrived." Harry intervened, "I'd recommend you to rest before leaving." 

"My mate is with child and I need to get to her as soon as possible," Terrence responded, "I do not wish to miss the birth."

"Which is why you must at least have a bath and wear fresher clothes when you return." Harry debated. The reasoning was sound and it seemed that it immediately appeased the fellow Alpha.

"I have to agree with that." Louis sided alongside his Alpha's statement. 

Terrence's resilience eventually resolved and gave away to the pair's suggestion. "All right."

* * *

After Terrence had taken leave, Harry had called for a meeting with Niall, Zayn and Liam with Louis. On reaching the place, Harry noticed that food was served and the four of them were already seated. 

"So what did this long lost friend want to talk about, that he traveled quarter the continent for meeting you?" Zayn asked, serving himself the stew rocking in the dark vessel.

"He wants help with a war," Harry summarised.

"Harry," Louis looked at him with a smile which precipitated force from him, "stop butchering the story."

Harry responded with a glare, as he looked into Louis' eyes. Their tiff was growing rather unbearable especially now since the Omega had refused to tolerate the Alpha's slander. 

"When Exaltion fell, my father concealed the treasury in an alternative place to prevent plunder and protect the lineage he could." Louis began, "Now the people who attacked the place want to plunder the treasury so Terrence wanted to inform me of it since I'm the only heir left."

"Don't forget the part where the Draughts' were the ones to set Exaltion on fire the first time?" Harry unnecessarily added on, irking Louis' eyebrow. 

The three of them turned instantly to look at Louis. The pieces were slowly coming together and making more sense than intended. It was like ripples of waves before the high tide, at a stagnant pace but assuredly arriving. 

Surprisingly, Liam was the one to talk, "That's why you killed Mairah."

Louis' eyes were constant on Harry's person, the annoyance seeping through them too plain to be ignored. Snapping away his gaze, he moved to the topic, "Returning to the topic, I will die before allowing those bastards claim my inheritance."

"No, I want to know." Zayn intervened. "Why kill Mairah?"

Louis' blues clashed with Zayn's whiskey browns, the war of unadulterated determination against pure desire to achieve. "Spit."

A very persistent silence passed while they had their staring match and Liam had to reel his Omega back, "Zayn, that's enough, I'm sure if Louis is comfortable, he'll tell us."

"No, he won't." Zayn snapped with Niall joining in momentarily accompanied by deep chuckles. "You think you're so smart, Harry." 

This caught the King by surprise, his eyebrows mimicked the raise of a wave. 

"You knew Zayn would react this way," He smirked, shaking his head, "that's why you initiated the topic, you didn't want Zayn to know, you wanted to know."

"Well played, brother," Niall raised a cup in his direction.

Wisps of wind collided with the curtains in careful deliberation bringing corroboration of the stillness which was adamantly refusing to leave. The quietness was making the room uncomfortable to breath in nevermind talk, Liam was glancing between the two Omegas while Zayn's eyes were refusing to give in. Louis' head bent down focussing on his food while the rest of them just shifted in discomfort. 

"She desired one of my mother's heirlooms," Louis dropped, concluding what seemed to be the beginning of a resentful battle, "it was a pearl neck piece and it was specifically made for Omegas."

"My mother refused in the kindest way possible and they made an argument out of it and thus the war." He finished. "We were on very fragile terms with the Draughts already, they just needed a reason."

"Your city was burnt because of a string of pearls?" Liam questioned, incredulously.

Louis laughed, "You could say."

"What happened to the pearls?" Niall asked.

"I highly doubt you'll be able to stomach that information during the course of a meal," Louis answered and sipped on his juice. 

"Try us." Niall dared. 

"She put them in a cup of vinegar and ingested them alongside poison."

The only sound heard was the clinking of Louis' fork against the glass of the plate, as he cut the steak on his plate, "Mairah was at the foot of my mother's body and asked the guards to tear into her flesh and search her organs for the pearls."

"They did it." Louis muttered gulping down the water in the goblet before him. "I was hiding in the wardrobe, I saw everything."

Zayn's gulp was loud and the shock on everyone's face was simmering into something much more violent. Harry was feeling immense amount of disgust at the woman who was his wife once upon a time. 

"You went too easy on her," Harry muttered, shaking his head. 

"Way too easy." Niall agreed.

"I agree," Zayn sided. 

"You should've gauged her eyes out." Liam suggested. 

Louis chuckled shaking his head in dismissal and turned towards Harry who was looking back at him anticipation. The Omega knew the Alpha was just waiting for him to make a demand in concern to the topic at hand and Louis had every intention to do so but would he be permitted to afford it, he knew not. 

"So can we go to Exaltion?" 

"The real question is whether we're going to war or to Exaltion?" Liam threw at Louis.

Louis pursed his lips, it was an appropriately valid question and the consort knew it was something he must look out for and the thing is he did. 

"War is a seventy percent chance."

"Can we really afford another war?" Zayn asked his Alpha. 

"We can." Liam nodded his head and shifted his glances between Zayn and Harry, "But the real question is should we?"

"What'll be the monetary impact of it?" Harry concerned. 

"Quite a bit, Harry." Liam answered, "By quite a bit I mean that we'd have to raise taxes by a four percent or more."

Harry's expression gave away that he was thinking of an alternative route to fulfill Louis' wish. 

"Lou," Niall broke the silence, "how much of treasure is presently available at Exaltion?"

Louis squinted his eyes at Niall's question, his eyebrow raising, "A lot."

"Our treasury was huge," Louis added, "but if I needed an estimate probably fourteen times this room if I'm modest and twenty if I'm not."

"And what do you plan to do with all of that?" Harry questioned him.

"Bring it back to Verloren obviously," Louis shrugged, sipping on his juice. "Even if you dislike the truth of us being married or mated, we still are and whatever is mine is yours."

Allowing his gaze to caress Louis' own, he felt the sincerity of the words uttered by the Omega. The Alpha in Harry was preening over the answer but the husband in him was feeling guilt sweep over his person. His heart bearing the weight of the words he had implicated explicitly in the past. 

Retreating his gaze, the Alpha recommended, "We'd need to give a part of it to Armphasis."

"I'll draw up the distribution in the morning tomorrow and give it to Liam to look over it." Louis offered. 

"And if we don't succeed?" Harry threw in

"You both," he gestured at Liam and Harry, "not succeeding? When you have three perfectly endowed Omegas at your side?"

Shaking his head in mock astonishment, "Don't be ridiculous."

Niall and Zayn chuckled too loudly at the chiding. 

"Luck doesn't favour everyone all the time, Louis," Liam warned, warranting a smile at the aforementioned statement. 

"Who spoke about luck when fate is on our side?"

"His confidence is what I am counting on." Liam commented looking up at his fellow Alpha. 

"Believe me, so am I."

* * *

Harry's birthday arrived with little commotion. Unlike the grandeur with which the Alpha would generally soak in, he had been exceedingly modest. In fact he hardly noticed until the day arrived and when it did arrive, he was moving in and around his chambers hunting for random things due to charity drive. 

When Liam walked in with Niall, Harry was still struggling around to find a few things. 

"Looks like it's not that much of a nice birthday after all," Niall commented silently.

Harry's gaze at him was cold and calculated and just let out two syllables, "Shut up."

"Why haven't you dressed up yet?" 

"Because I woke up late." 

Niall nodded his head and looked towards the commander in chief with a smile which spelt out smug. "Seems like you're missing a certain person."

"Niall, I'm repeating the sentence that you should shut the fuck up."

Chuckling he made his brother sit before the mirror and began carding his finger through his curls. 

"Is everything ready for the charity drive?" Harry questioned.

"Yes," Liam informed him, "who is the one sitting on the scales?"

Whenever there was a charity initative in Verloren there would be colossal scales present which would weigh the emperor on one side and the gold to be distributed on the other side. And until both the scales weighed equally, the gold and coins consistently resonated with one another. 

"Where is Louis?" Harry questioned and flinched at the harshness of Niall's fingers. "Niall, can you please be a little gentle?!"

"Of course, anything else Alpha?" Niall questioned sweetly, "Some tea while I'm engaging you in this arduous task?"

Harry glared at the reflection of Niall in the mirror for his barb and moved his attention to his commander in chief, "Where is he?"

"Sick." Liam responded, "It generally has those effects you know, carrying a child."

"Of course, I was unaware." Harry bit back. "He is the one sitting on the scales, I hope he is ready."

"Does Louis know he is sitting on the scales or are you going to spring it up on him like everything else you do?" Niall questioned. 

"How do you not have morning sickness?" Harry's repartee came way too quick and smooth. 

"Firstly, Niall does not have an Alpha who implies the child isn't his," Liam's barb pierced through the room's walls and rebounded upon the Alpha, "secondly, Shawn doesn't impart unneeded worry to him and lastly, all Omegas don't get morning sickness if they're taken care of properly."

Pausing the braiding of his hair, Niall glared at Harry through the reflection on the mirror, "If Shawn said what you did, I would've killed him with no remorse whatsoever."

"Zayn would've done the same." Liam adhered easily. 

Harry turned to face his brother, his eyes stilled with rage, "And what he did-"

"-was wrong but did not qualify for you to shoot back with a comment like that," Niall completed. "He loves you so much and you return those affection, why don't you just give him a chance?"

Harry turned away like a stubborn child who was chided and sat before the mirror. And if he was in a better mood Niall would've called out his pouting but the Alpha was in the midst of his firestorm and the Omega refused to take that risk. 

"Talk to him," Liam advised, his hand on Harry's shoulder, "you need him and he needs you."

"I'll postpone the weighing to the evening." Niall suggested.

Harry let out a growl of approval and shook his head in agreement.

* * *

By the time sun was at its highest, Harry had deemed it necessary to check up on his Omega. 

Sun shone vibrantly through the screens cascading the shadow of the architecture on the floor. The palace hallways were filled with chatter and life. Echoes of chatter and giggle filling in steadily while the sound mercilessly scattered in and about. Several people moving in and out with consistency while carrying out with their tasks assigned for the day. 

Walking through the hallway, Harry was careful to respond with an amicable thank you to everyone who wished him.

On approaching Louis' chambers which he so ardently despised for being a wedge between them, he let ripples of realisation strike him that he was the reason this situation had been cited in the first place. 

Moving into the chambers he noticed the bamboo room dividers all around the place. Observing his presence the members present were about to wish him but he raised his hand to stop. 

"I really don't want to eat anything, Zee," Louis' voice negated with discomfort. 

"Louis, it's just soup, you must have something," he assumed Reus' voice debated, "you do realise it's not healthy."

"I really cannot." Louis' whine pierced through, "I just need to sleep."

"Your Highness," Rhaea's voice soothed, "but sleeping on an empty stomach in your state would be inadvisable."

"What's the worst thing which could happen?" Louis questioned nonchalantly and if Harry was present to view the scene at hand, he knew they'd be glaring at Louis to continue. 

"If there is a miscarriage, I'm sure the Alpha will be pleased." 

Harry's palms curled into a fist at the words uttered. 

"Just leave, please do." His voice came through, "I am tired and I do not desire to talk to any of you."

"Sleep, then," Reus' told him, "I'll stay here if you need anything."

"You don't need to," Louis responded. 

"Just listen to him, we aren't leaving you alone." Zayn informed him.

The shuffle of blankets and the movement of footsteps warranted for him to know that they were shifting their presences from the main part of the room to the exit. When Zayn emerged from the screen his eyes locked with Harry's for a very brief moment before shaking his head in nonchalance and leaving him alone. 

It took a while before someone confirmed Louis was indeed asleep. Moving into the quarters, he noticed his Omega who was draped in blankets of the warmest fleece. Sauntering further inside, he allowed his gaze to move over his pale skin.The bags under his eyes heavy with sleep and his breathing heavy. 

"You can leave now," Harry recommended to Reus. 

"I know this might hurt your pride, Your Highness," he began, "but when you can't really respect your Omega, it would be wise to let him go."

"You both are just reminding every bonded pair around you that sometimes love is not enough and maybe destiny is not always right." 

The bouts of shock which passed through the Alpha was concealed in his mind. Reus had told something so simple yet so hurtful that the Emperor felt his soul weep at the thought of manifesting the situation into his words. He desired his mate and even though what happened wasn't amenable to him, he had no intention to leave his Louis. 

Sitting down beside Louis, he allowed his fingers to make his way through his brown hair. Slowly, he lowered himself to kiss Louis' forehead. Seeing him lithe in his arms Harry knew that this needed to end. 

He gently caressed Louis' cheek with his thumb. "I love you as well, my Omega."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love you all so much. This was supposed to be a Valentine's day gift but I'm a week late. Thank you so much for your endless support. I'm going through an extremely tough patch and I don't know if I would've survived if not for my writing and all of your kind comments on my work. 
> 
> All my love.

**Author's Note:**

> Whosoever has laid their eyes through the words I weave, I thank you for your time, patience and support.


End file.
